Just a Game
by EternalFlame8030
Summary: Lucy Heartfillia and Natsu Dragneel are chosen to compete in an annual killing game: The Hunger Games. This is my version of the Hunger Games, Fairy Tail style! (With a surprise ending...)
1. Chapter 1

I stand in the sea of villagers in the centre of town, right in front of the Justice Building, in Area 12. Waiting for the names of the next two Tributes. The reaping.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be _ever_ in your favour." The white-haired lady from the Capitol says. She has a big, curly wig on and a dark violet dress with matching shoes. And she is wearing far too much make-up on to tell if she's a human women or a clown. Her name is- actually, I don't know her name. Too terrified to really care.

The Hunger Games. Just the thought of it makes me sick. Since the Great War between the areas and the Capitol, the Capitol said that there needs to be a sacrifice. No, a reminder to remind us what power the Capitol has, and what they can do to us. That 'reminder' is when one male and one female Tribute from each of the twelve areas go into an arena that is placed somewhere in the Capitol, to compete in a killing game. Last man standing wins. Kids. The Tributes are children from the ages of twelve to eighteen. If someone from the same sex as you is called, you have a choice of whether or not you want to volunteer for that person, and take their place in the Games. This rarely happens and if it does, he/she must really care for that person or is asking for a death wish.

I stand with the seventeen year old girls, fingers crossed and hoping that it won't be my name that is called.

I turn my head to the eighteen year old boys, searching their faces for Loke. He's easy to find because of his bright orange hair. Loke is my closest (and only) friend. We met two years ago when we traded A blanket and a loaf of bread for paper and an old book. I love reading and writing, its my dream to become an author one day. But it won't happen here in 12. Reading and writing are my only talents, unless You count not being social and hiding in the shadows as a talent.

_its okay, you'll be_ had told me as we hugged before parting as we went off to the reaping.

"Time to choose this years Tributes." The Capitol lady said happily while everyone else looked at her with horror. "As we all know, ladies first. She walks to two big glass bowls placed on a table on the middle of the stage of the Justice Building. She throws her right hand in and carefully digs through the thousand slips of paper that our names are neatly printed on. She lifts her hand up after a couple of seconds, her hand firmly gripping onto a piece of paper.

_Its not me, its not me._

"the girl Tribute is..."

_Its not me. Its okay because its not going to be me. I'll be fine, just how Loke_ said.

"Lucy Heartfillia."

I'm frozen in fear as my name echoes through the town square. Its impossible. This couldn't of have just happened. No, not impossible, but not likely. All the seventeen year old girls step away from me. Making invisible-me visible. I hate being on the spot light. That's why I like to stay away from big crowds. But right now I'm being pulled out if my comfort zone.

"Come come. Don't be afraid."

Don't be afraid? Did she really just say that? I'm about to go into a killing game, kill other kids around my age or younger to survive. Some Tributes from areas 1, 2 and 3 will have, like usual, the advantage because they are trained for this most of their lives. And she's telling me not to be afraid?!

I walk slowly, but then turn around once again and see Loke staring right back at me. But this time, the twinkling light that is usually shinning in his eyes are replaced with shock and fear.

Three Peacekeepers (they're like guards in a sense, but for the Capitol) come to me and grabbed my arms and the other followed at our heels. Someone tried to run away when their name was called at the reaping, so now they're just taking pre-caution.

Once they lead me to the stage, I see that not only the Capitol lady and the bowls sit in the stage, but three chairs as well. Two are occupied by the mayor of 12, Makarov, and 12's last living victor, Gildarts.

Once I'm on the stage, standing on the right hand side of the Capitol lady, I look qt the crowd of people, and they give me looks of sadness and terror in return.

"Well we have our girl Tribute, now to choose the boy Tribute." The lady tosses her hand in the second bowl, and spins her hand in the pieces of paper. Once she's done fishing for the name of the next poor soul, she unfolds the paper and reads loud and clear:

"Natsu Dragneel."


	2. Chapter 2

The teenage boys all stepped away from a pink-haired boy (Yes, I mean it. Pink!). He wore black pants, a white dinner shirt (the shirt was sort of messy and some buttons were buttoned up wrong), and a white and black plaid scarf. All I need is the scarf and spikey pink hair to know that it's him.

His furious deep black eyes looked to the ground. Like me, only one expression was readable on his face. Terror. Peacekeepers came and grabbed him, just like they did to me, and lead him to the stage if the Justice Building. When one grabbed his muscular arm firmly, he looked as if he was ready to swing a few punches at them.

No, not him. Why him? I think bitterly. I still remeber that day as if it were yesterday.

It was three days after my parents, Layla and Jude Heartfillia, died. My family had no food, so my father tried to steal a loaf of bread from the bakery, and failed. He was whipped in the village square, it was about after fourty swings that my mother stood up to help him, and she too, was whipped. After their whipping, they were shot due to stealing and interfering with "Peacekeeper buisness". I was left with no family.

I was sitting outside in the rain, laying against a tree outside the run-down school. There was a food shortage in 12 at the same time, so we werenall in the same boat. We were all starving, people were already dying from hunger and thirst. I knew that I was about to die, I was barely able tp walk to the tree. I was going to die of hunger right there if the storm didn't drown me first. And that's when I saw him.

A young boy in a dark cloak with a hood pulled over his pink head. Je was holding three loaves of bread in his arms and under his cloak to keep them dry. Fresh baked bread! But it also looked like he running away from someone. Well, four Peacekeepers to be exact. He was gaining speed and…..he was running straight at me.

I closed my eyes and pinched myself, but he was still coming at me. When he was only a couple feet away from my own feet, he ducked, barell-rolled, and hid hid on the other side of the tree. The Peacekeepers run by, not even noticing that he went the other way. I stare into space, trying to understand what I had just seen.

When the Peacekeepers were out of sight, the boy stood up and began laughing. Luaghing! He was beginning to walk away when he turned to me. I wonder what he saw when he looked at me: a small, boney, orphan girl? Most likely. He tossed one of the loaves of bread at my feet.

"You never saw anything. Nothing happened." He said as he turned and started running again in the opposite direction that he came.

A deal for a deal.

Oh my god, I made a deal with a theif! I think as Natsu is placed beside me.

I turn and face Mr. Dragneel when we shake hands as the two Tributes. Nothing more, nothing less. He firmly squeezes my hand and his eyes go wide when he meets my eyes.

So he remebers.

"Well! We have our two Tributes of Area 12: Lucy Heartfillia and Natsu Dragneel!"

No applause. No one says a word, and no one moves an inch. That is until an old face in the sea of faces lifts up his right hand, points his index finger in the air and lifts his thumb. The Area 12 symbol. The after him, everyone's hand goes up. Inclusing Loke' arms begin to shake as I force the tears down.

Peacekeepers open up two doors behind us that leads us inside the Justice Building. More Peacekeepers come and take me and Natsu forcefully inside. They split me and Natsu up and we go opposite directions. After turning what seemed like a hundred corners, I was placed inside a room.

The room was purple. That's the first thing that pops into my head as I look around the room. There's a violet coucu, chairs, curtain, carpets and violet table cloths for a table thats placed in the centre if the room.

I don't bother to sit down so I pace the room instead, biting the inside of my cheek as I walk back and forth. It seemed like the minute that the door was closed, that it was opened again but this time by Loke.

The second he closes the door, I rush into his open arms. We stay there in silence for a couple moments before he begins to talk again.

"Lucy,you got to win this."

"I cant and you know that I cant so it."

"So? At least try! Listen, I know that you dont want to kill them, but if it comes down to it, you have to. You and I both know that you're going to have to sooner or later."

"Loke, I know that you're trying to help, but would you be all happy and excited if you're about to go into a game where you have to kill kids?"

"No, but I would think of a way to win. Maybe without having to kill anyone. Think of your talents, skills, powers, anything that could help you out in the Games, Lucy."

"I've got none."

"That's a lie."

The door opens again but this time by a Peacekeeper that's here to escort Loke out.

Loke grabs my hand and hugs me again. "You can do it, I know you can."

"Goodbye!" I yell as he's being pulled out the door.

"Bye! Good luck, Lucy!" He and then the door slams shut.

_ What do I do now?_

Minute later, I'm placed into a Capitol train and pushed into another room on the train. The door shuts behind me and I run to the window and look at Area 12 for the last time.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! How're you liking my very first Fairy Tail fanfiction? As you may have noticed already, Natsu, Lucy and other characters from Fairy Tail may not be the same as they are in the manga/anime, but I'll be sure to add a few moments where they'll seem just the same. But seeing as its the Hunger Games, its not going to be very…..cheerful. If you like this story, be sure to check out my other fanfiction. I am new at this, so I only have two stories so far, but I'll make more in the near future for sure.

I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL ( Hiro Mashima does), THE HUNGER GAMES (Suzanne Collins does) OR THE SONG "JUST A GAME" BY BIRDY!

After I glanced at 12 through the window, I paced the room again, and once again, began to bite my cheek nervously.

I wonder how old the other Tributes will be this year? From the ages twelve-eighteen obviously, but will the be younger or older? The younger are the hardest to kill, I've noticed throught the years of watching the Games on the telivions outside the Justice Building. Its not easy to kill kids. You've got to be pretty heartless to kill them without heistation. But yet, we're kids too, and they're kids as well. Kids killing kids. It makes me sick. How could the damn Capitol do this to us?! They couldn't come up with any other solution to the war?!

I clench my fists and feel like screaming "Damn you!" outloud to the Capitol, but decide otherwise. Whatever I do to the Capitol that could lead to a rebellion, could hurt the people I care about. Loke. Area 12. Maybe even lose a few more areas. I don't want to be the one to cause that pain. I don't want to be forced into war.

I fall onto a big, comfy bed with pure white bed sheets and rose-red blankets. I curl into a ball under the sheets, and wish that I could just disappear.

I stay in that position for a while, until my feet move by themselves, and take me out of the room. I walk down some hallways and more rooms, until a slide door opens and I step inside of it. Did my parents ever tell me not to walk into a mysterious place that I've never been in before? Yes they have. But I walk inside anyways, my curiousity getting the better side of me.

The room is huge. There's tables, and trays full of food, drinks, and deserts of all sorts. There's roast beef, mashed potatoes, pork chops, lamb chops, salads, yorkshire pudding, rich thick gravy, water, wine, alcohol, juices , milk, cakes, puddings, pies, ice cream and so much more. There's several empty tables and chairs. But I see that one of the bleach-white chairs is taken by the pink hair boy. Natsu.

I slump into a seat beside him. He looks at me, I saw him from the corner of my eye. Then his eyes dart back to the ground. Both of us are silent, and I try to keep it that way, until Mr. Dragneel has a brilliant idea to begin a conversation with me.

"You look nice." He mumbled as he looked at me. I still don't look back at him or talk.

But I don't want to seem like a total jerk, I mumble back, "Thanks. Not too bad yourself."

"Nice dress."

I look down at what I'm wearing: a sky blue dress with short sleeves. The dress goes down to my knees, and it has matching shoes. My shoulder-lengthed blonde hair is tied back into a tight bun on the top of myh head. My big brown eyes make eye contact with him the first time.

"Nice buttons, pinkie." Of course, he still hasnt fixed his buttons into the right holes yet.

He gives me the first emotion that I see on that face of his. Annoyance, but he still has a smirk on his lips. "Wow, you're not like must girls are you? Not afraid to give some sarcasim to a big guy like me."

Now its my time to be annoyed. But before I can open my mouth to give him another comment, the slide door opens and in walks the (so-called)Gildarts. As he makes his way to the empty table next to me and Mr. Pinkie here, he picks up a berry muffin from one of the tables, sniffs it (yes, I mean it. He did sniff it!) And takes a huge bite that leaves crooked teeth marks in the remaing half of the muffin. He flings himself lazily onto a table chair and stares off into space as he finshed off the muffin.

"Um…. I'm sorry, can we help you?" I ask nervously.

"We?" Natsu looked at me, smiling. I roll my eyes and look back at the muffin-eating-Gildarts.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry, I might've forgotten to tell you guys that I'm your guys' mentor this year for the Games." He said seriously. He nearly spat the word 'Games.'

"Well if you're our mentor, maybe you could teach us a few things." Natsu hopps to his feet and throws his clenched fists in the air as if he's ready to fight. "How strong are you, Gildarts?"

"Stronger than you, that's for sure." He smirked.

"Perfect! Fight me!" Natsu said, eager to fight.

"Ha! Not a chance!" Gildarts laughed.

"Well Natsu does have a point. If you're our mentor as you say you are, maybe you could teach us a thing or two." I say, folding my arms and leaning back in my chair.

"What? Does 12 actually have some fighgters this year? Havent seen any since….Well, since I was in that Arena." Gildarts says.

"Teach us. Yes or no?" I say stubbornly.

"Hmm…. Don't think-"

I throw a butter knife that was on the table at him, and it only just missed his right ear, and it hit the wall right behind him.

"Lucy!" a high voice said sternly "What on earth are you doing?" I turn around and see the Capitol lady entering the room through one of the slide doors. "That is not how ladies act."

"Its how fighters act." Natsu mumbles.

"Fine, so you wont teach us. Any advice?" I growl miserably.

"You want advice? Don't die. Theres some advice." Gildarts growls back "And I will teach you. Later. I havent had any Tributes so eager to train before. This is new to me. But I take my job seriously, the Tributes just choose not to."

"Well we choose to." Natsu said, throwing himself back into his chair.

"Indeed you do." The Capitol lady said happily.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" I say, sitting up straight. That how to be a lady commemt sort of made me angry, but she's right, I'm not like most girls.

"Oh, Lucy. You clearly don't listen do you?" Gildarts says.

"My name is Effie, Lucy. Pleased to meet you." the lady said, holding out her hand for me to shake.

"Oh no, the pleasure's all mine." I say sarcastically. "Its my pleasure to go and kill people. What fun!"

"That's the spirit, Lucy!" Effie smiled, her big, rose-red lips spread ear to ear.

I glare at her. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Kids. We're killing innocent kids!" I don't know why I'm yelling, but I just am. I'm angry, no, furious right now. How can the Capitol make us, kids, kill other kids? I stand up and walk furiously out of this room to my own private room. I flop myself on the bed and wish, once again, that I could disapear. Vanish into thin air. I don't want to pretend to act all cheerful and excited about the Games, because I'm not. I never will be. I don't want to be a piece in their Games.

I must've drifted off into sleep because when somone knocked on the door, telling me that its dinner, my eyes shot open and I sat up straight with a yawn. As I get up, I see that an outfit has been laid out on a cherry-red chair for me. Its a emerald green tang-top with a white under-shirt, black leggings and black heels. I walk into a bathroom and take a shower in this huge shower. There are hundreds of buttons for different soaps, shampoo, and body washes. I chose a body wash that smells like cherry blossoms, and a shampoo that smells like daises. I get dressed into the outfit that was laid out for me, and I comb my messy damp hair. After I'm done, I slowly walk out of the room, and down the same passages that I have already walked thgrough, and enter the slide door.

Natsu, Gildarts, and Effie are sitting at the table, deep in a conversation. I sit down in a chair across from Effie, and listen to what they're talking about.

"Don't go to the Cornucopia, if you go there, you must have a death wish." Gildarts says to Natsu. So it seems like our mentor is finally going to teach us.

"What are you guys talking about?" I ask.

"How to stay alive in the arena." Natsu replied.

"Yes. Now Lucy, what I just told Natsu here is when the Games first begin, don't go straight to the Cornucopia, that's certain death right there on a silver plater. Its going to be a blood bath. But what you want to do is grab a pack, they're laid across the field that you start in, and make for the trees. Once you're in the trees, you're safe. But of course, you're never safe in the arena, but anywhere is safer than the ground. You want to be up high, so stick to the trees! And after that, you need to find water. Water is your most important tool in the Games, okay? Water is your best friend in the arena."

"What about weapons? We need to be armed. We cant just walk around in the arena with no weapons." I say.

"Exactly. If you're lucky, you'll somehow get your hands on one. There might be one in the packs, if luck is on your side that is." Gildarts said.

It seemed like right after he was done talking, that the table was instantly filled with foods of all sorts. Roast beef, ham, soups, lamb chops, gravey, potaoes, mushroom, breads, and so much more. I help myself to a little bit of everything, and for the first time in years, my stomache was actually full.

After our if the meal, came the second: desserts. Cakes, pies, puddings, muffins, doughnuts and more! I had some cake, a slice of pie and a doughnut.

"Better eat up now, because in two weeks, you're in the arena where there's barely any food." Gildats said as he stuffed his face with another muffin and some other desserts.

"Yeah, well when we're stuffing our faces, people in 12are still starving." Natsu replied, evening all the food he was eating was flying all over the place. Natsu had secinds, then thirds, then fourths and so on. God, did he ever love food.

"If you're so upset, then how come you're eating like you'll never eat again." I say. Natsu just shrugged in reply.

"Cheer up, you two. Tomorrow's going to be a big, big, big day! We will be arriving in the Capitol in the morning." Effie said with a smile.

"Thank you Effie, I think we are all very cheerful." Gildarts said with a hint of sarcasim in his voice.

"Same goes for you, Gildarts. Please at least try to stay sobber this year. We don't want to repeat what happened last year, do we?" Effie ignored Gildarts' comment.

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that." Gildarts muttered through clenched teeth.

"What happened?" I ask curiously.

"Nothing." Gildarts said quickily with a small fake cough. He obviously wanted to change the subject. "Effie, I thought that we agreed not to tell anyone?"

Me and Natsu exchanged curious looks, wanting answers but we both know that we're not getting.

"Right. Now Gildarts, shouldn't you teach the meaning of allies to Natsu and Lucy?" Effie nodded her bleach white wig.

"Yeah. So, 't want to be allies with the careers, stay away from them! They're bad!.If you're looking for an Ally, look at the toughies that may not be the Careers. Lets look at this years' Tributes, shall we?" he waved at me and Natsu to follow him. Natsu looked at me, and I just shrughed back at him. Who knows what's going through that Gildarts-brain of his?

We follow him through a new set of slide doors, many new hallways and then we go through another pair of slide doors to a room identical to mine, except it has no bed, and this one has a huge glass tv set (yes, I said it. A glass tv!) I sit in one of the couches, and Natsu sits next to me.

Gildarts flicks a button on a remote at the tv, and the tv flickers on. "From Area 11: Gajeel Redfox and Levy Mcgarden. Levy is twelve, while Gajeel is eighteen. These two are fairly close friends, and well, Levy is a loveable person and everyone in 11 loves her like their own daughter or sister. Gajeel is a very big toughie, super strong, and depending on how he acts, he wouldn't be a bad ally." he hits the button again "District 10: stay away from them! Not good to team up with, so I'm not even going to bother with their names, same goes for 8. 9 is a good one to team up with. Their names are Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockster. Great team, and have a fairly good amount of strength." and so on until we get to 4 "Now these are the Careers, STAY AWAY FROM THEM IF YOU WANT TO LIVE! But Area 1 is the best, and mkst dangerous. Laxus and Erza are their names. Heck, 2 would be safer than these two. But yet again, 2 has Mirajane and Elfman…" he trails off, deep in thought. "Think about it, you two, okay? We'll talk more about it later. In the meantime, get some sleep, cause you'll need it."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey guys! So, just wanted to give you just a quick warning: there will be coarse language from this chapter and up for now on. It won't be too bad, but it will be in there.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**-EternalFlame8030**_

* * *

I must've fallen asleep on the couch because I woke up in someone else's arms, they were probably carrying me to my room. I was so tired that I couldn't see who it was, but I sort of have an idea because a black and white plaid scarf was brushing against my face as he carried me. I nodded off again, and my head rested against his shoulder. Long after I dazed off, I woke up in my own bed, still in the outfit that I went to dinner in. It takes me a minute to remeber how I got here. Natsu.

I slowly get up, walk to a gaint oak wardrobe, and open it up. Different gowns, dresses, coats, shirts and pants filled the dresser head to toe.

"God damn, the Capitol is so spoiled." I say outloud to myself. While the Capitol stomaches are being filled, and their clothes are clean and neat, the Areas are suffering. We are starving, barely any food at all, and our clothes are old, dirty and ratty. Well, some of the first few Areas aren't. But Areas like 12 are. I bet 11, 10, 9, and maybe 8 are as well. Normally I would be afraid to insult the Capitol outloud, but seeing as I'm walking to my death already, I don't care anymore.

I think that I should pick a blood red T-shirt, but then I think about the Hunger Games and all the real blood that I will see, and throw the thought about the shirt out of my head.

Instead I pick out a sunflower yellw shirt and tight jeans to match. I also threw in a pair of black flats for shoes. I tied my blonde hair into a tight pony-tail. I walk out the door, and into the dining room that I discovered yesterday.

"Well good morning sleeping beauty." Natsu said sarcastically. He was sitting at one of the tables with Gildarts.

"Morning, buttons." I reply with a smirk. Seems like that 'button' comment really bugs him. Perfect, I now know the perfect thing to use to annoy him.

"They were misplaced by accident okay?" Natsu glared but was slightly smiling himself.

"Oi Lucy, you better eat up before you go into the Arena. You guys are going to be in there for a couple weeks ya know." Gildarts said, waving me over to sit and eat with them. Seeing as I have nithing else to do, I join them. Effie soom comes in and joins us. Her funky dress today is…..butterflies. No really, her sunset-orange dress is made out of butterflies. Poor things. Butterfly murderer. But I guess I shouldn't joke about her being a 'butterfly murderer' when twenty four other kids and I will become one, too.

"They're plastic, Lucy." Effie said, looking at the expression on my face. "These arent real." I give her a disbelieving nod if my head as I take a few pieces of bacon, toast, scrambled eggs and pancakes. I look at Natsu and Gildarts, and see that they look disgusted at Effie's dress. "Oh seriously you three! Its a dress, and these butterflies aren't real. Now please stay calm, we shall arrive in the Capitol shortly. Oh, you are just going to love the Capitol, it truely is wonderful. The clothes are fabulous, the food is magnificent and the president is truely amazing." Effie said dramatically. "Oh, and we mustn't forget your stylists."

"Stylist?" I ask nervously.

"Why of course! You don't think the clothes are made by daises do you? You will each meet your very own stylist and prep-team as soon as we arrive in the Capitol." Effie looks as if I just asked the most obvious thing ever. By the smirk on Gildarts, I'm starting to believe I have.

"Nice outfit." Gildarts gives me a compliment. He looks towards Effie "Not yours." she gives him a slight glare, but its hidden beneath all the make-up.

I zone out for the rest of the conversation, and as soon as I'm done eating, I walk out and into my room without saying a word.

I sit on a navy-blue cushion chair by the window. I lay my head against the cold, hard wall and look at the passing trees, mountains and areas that soon fade away. I think of Loki, I feel bad for him. He's like a brother to me, and he's really hoping that I'll win. Or that I'll at least try, but we both know that I can't win this. I know I'll have to kill, but I'm going to try and avoid it. I don't want to become a murderer before I die, but just like everyone else, I'm sure that I'll have to sooner or later. The Games used to be our sacrifice, but now its sport for the Capitol. Entertainment for the Capitol. Why else would the Capitol be so excited and cheery for the Games?

I clench my hands into fists. Why won't we fight back? Why won't someone start a rebellion, and end this nightmare? The Capitol is sick, just the thought if them loving the Hunger Games makes me want to throw up. I just want to go into the centre of the Capitol, and scream at them for everything they have done to us. And for what, power? They torure us, kill us, and makes us send kids into the Games, and its all so that we know who is in charge. I know I'm going to die, be among the twenty-three dead Tributes, but before I die, I want to Capitol that I'm not just another piece in their Games. I want to show them that they can't controll us forever, that we are not their slaves. But how?

"Lucy," someone knocks on the door. "time to go. We are entering the Capitol now."

I sigh, glare out the window one last time, then get up and walk into the dining room.

Effie seems really jumpy. You can tell that she's nervous. "Okay, okay. Natsu, change your clothes. Lucy, try to put on a smile. Both of you need to look absolutly…..ah, now whats the word?"

"Fabulous?" Gildarts mocks her.

"Yes, exactly. Fabulous for the Capitol. And Gildarts, please stay away from the alcohol. I know you dislike the Capitol, but please try and stay sober this year." Effie continues, eyeing Gildarts. He reply with a nod of his head and a moan. So far, Gildarts has been sober, but appearntly not when he's in the Capitol. I don't blame him.

We enter through a dark tunnel before we see the Capitol. Natsu and I spring to our feet and run to the window. The Capitol is huge. Big, tall, colorful building fill the Capitol from head to toe.

"Whoa." I gasp at the sight. Even though I hate the Capitol, this was a stunning view to see for the first time.

"Dude, whoa is right." Natsu agreed.

"Did you just call me 'dude'?" I look at him.

"Did you just call me 'buttons'?" He looks back at me. "Do ya think you could stop calling me "buttons" or "pinkie"?"

"Fine, but same goes for you. Deal?"

"Deal." We shake hands, just like how we did when we were chosen as Tributes.

"Up up up! We are now departing the train statoin, so we first need to get off the train." Effie looks in a circular mirror sure her puffy wig is extra poofy. She leads us out the doors that we walked through to get into the train. The second we stepped off the platform, we were overwhelmed by crowds of Capitol civilians. The woman were wearing strange dresses. They were big, or tight, or small, or puffy, and they were all in colors I didn't even know existed. The men wore very weird suits and coats. Once I saw what everyone was wearing, I thought Effie's butterfly dress was rather beautiful.

"Come come." Effie took us with Gildarts at her side. He was glaring at the marble ground, but then his eyes shot upwards and he looked straight. His eyes were full of bravery, determination.

A group of Peacekeepers come and take us into a long, black car. We entered the car and disapeared from the sight of the cheering Capitol crowd.

"Where are we going?" Natsu asked.

"To meet your stylists so that you can get ready for the opening ceremony tonight." Gildarts says.

"I hear that Cancer is one of 12's stylists this year." Effie says excitedly.

"whose he?" I ask.

"Only one of the best stylists in the Capitol!" Effie dramatically says, her eyes drifting off into space.

"Cancer is pretty good, he can really make a good impression for you to the Capitol." Gildarts adds. "Get you lots of sponsors. You'll need them if you want any chance if surviving. Water, rope, a couple crakers, or even a single match could just save your life in the Arena."

"How do you get sponsors?" Natsu said.

"You get people to like you." Gildarts says. "And you" he points to me "aren't off to a very good start."

* * *

I clench my teeth as they strap another piece of tape onto my nearly hair-less legs.

Rrriipppp.

"That was the last one, Lucy. Don't worry." Aries said. She's a part of my prep-team. "Sorry, Lucy..."

The blue haired (and rather scary) women named Aquarius grabbed a black pipe.

"What's that?" I ask nervously.

"We just need to hose you down one more time before you go with Cancer." Aquarius said with a glare and smirk.

After I'm all "cleaned-up", Aries and Aquarius lay me on a metal table and I lay there, staring at the ceiling, waiting for my stylist to come. I look at the square clock that hangs the wall, and I read that I've been in here for ten minutes now. Another ten minutes later, the door knob turns and in walks my stylist. He looked normal enough: a blue long sleeved shirt, dark pants, dark skin and he wore shades over his eyes. The only thing that that says he's from the Capitol, is the red lines that are placed on his brown hair.

I sit up straight as he steps in front of me.

"Hello Lucy. I am your stylist, Cancer." He said in a deep voice and I automatically know that I like him as a friend.

"Lucy." I introduce myself as I shake his hand.

"I'll be the one who designs all your clothing and I will be helping you make a good first impression to the Capitol."

"And how do you do that?" I ask.

"We make people like you so that you get sponsors in the Games. Your mentor, Gildarts, explained to you what sponsors are and what they do, right?"

"I'm not a very likeable person." I mumble, and its true. I'm not a big people-person.

Cancer smiles at me gently "I highly doubt that."

"So what then? Are you going to make me 'look pretty'?" I say sarcastically.

"I'm going to make you look strong. Make Area 12 look unforgettable." Cancer said.

"How?"

Cancer only smiles even bigger "You'll see."

* * *

Cancer and I walk to the chariots, where Natsu is already waiting there for us with his stylist. His stylist had pink hair, and wide eyes. She introduces herself as Virgo. Natsu is wearing a white suite with a black tie (he's holding his scarf instead of wearing it) and his messy pink hair was styled differently with gel. He looked rather handsome right now. I mentally slap myself for think about something like that. How could such a lovely thought enter my mind when all I can think about is how afraid I am.

I wear a beautiful, sleeve-less, white dress. The bottom half is big and fluffy while the top half is tight and a gentle silver. I wear a breath-taking crown silver crown (Natsu has one as well) on my blonde hair. My golden hair is tied into a braid down my back , and many pins were in my hair to keep it from falling apart. Matching high heels cover my toes.

"You look beautiful." Natsu says, and there's no trace if rudeness in his voice. He just gave me a compliment.

"Thank you. You look wonderful as well." I reply kindly with a smile. He smiles back.

"Okay you two, it's time to get into the chariots now." Virgo instructs us, both she and Cancer help us stand in the chariots.

"You will be moving in just a minute." Cancer says.

"And don't forget to smile." Virgo reminds us.

"Here." Cancer hands me and Natsu both a small clip "Press these when you're ready."

"What is it?" Natsu takes his and holds it firmly.

"It will make you two light up in sparks and something else will also appear. But that part is a surprise." Cancer presses his finger to his lips. Natsu and I exchange curious looks, and I want to know what it is right away. I look at the chariot in font of us. Area 11: Gajeel Redfox and Levy Mcgarden. Gajeel is a big, muscular teenager with deep black hair and mad eyes. Levy on the other hand , was a small blue-haired twelve year old. I look at her sadly and I think of the beautiful blue flowers that grow in the meadow by my house. Its always very hear-breaking when a young child is chosen, but I'm surprised that no one volunteered for her. Well, they were all probably in shock or were too scared.

"We are starting in three..." a voice boomed over my head, shaking me out of me out of my daydream. "two...one!" Chariots began to move and as soon as 11 was a couple feet in front of me and Natsu, we too, began to move forward. I am immediately blinded by a flash of sunlight as we are pulled out of the darkness.

"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy! Lucy!" The crowd of thousands of Capitol civilians shouted "Natsu! Natsu! Natsu! Natsu!" People begin throwing flowers and save at us . I even saw a few blow kisses in our direction.

"Now." I whisper to Natsu. I push the clip and beautiful, golden sparks fly out of the back of my dress with matching wings. Fairy wings. Natsu looks the same as me except that he's dressed differently.

Cheers and applauses escape from the mouths of thousands. A stranger in the crowd throws me a lovely red rise and I catch and sniff it. A powerful scent overwhelms me and my eyes begin to get slightly watery as I smell the wonderful scent.

We halt to a stop in the centre if the Tributes' chariots right in front of a great balcony that overlooks the civilians. A figure appears on that small platform. He has pure white hair and beard and wears a stunning black suite. A gorgeous white rose is placed inside his shirt pocket and the snake like eyes of president Snow look down upon us

"Welcome," his voice roars, and the crowd goes to a sudden silence. "to yet another year of the annual Hunger Games." The crowd booms with applause. "We have these Games, for sacrifice and as a reminder of why we have our freedom. Of why we live our wonderful lives today. Now, I am pleased to announce the beginning of the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games, And may the odds be _ever_ in your favour." He steps down from the platform and the crowd goes wild as we step off our chariots and meet with our stylists.

"That was amazing." Cancer said with smile.

"Wonderful." Virgo added.

"Outstanding job, you two." Effie claps happily.

"Fairies?" I say to Cancer.

"I told you I was going to make 12 unforgettable this year." Cancer replied.

Gildarts comes up to us "And you certainly did. Well done, both of you. Lucy, I'm surprised that you actually smiled, sweetheart. Thought you'd-" the boy from 1 was looking over at us. Laxus, I believe that's what his name was. "Why don't we go up to our floor, shall we?"

"Great idea, Gildarts. Oh, you are just going to _love _your floor. Since we are from 12, we get the top floor, and my oh my does it ever have an amazing view. Am I wrong in thinking that?" Effie leads us to an elevator.

"Oh no, you're right, Effie. The view is very beautiful." Virgo says. The elevator door opens and the six of us enter and Cancer presses the button 12 on the side.

* * *

The place is simply outstanding. A huge kitchen with a large wooden table and stripped-cushioned seats on the chairs. The living room is about the size of the city square outside the Justice Building back in 12. There's huge windows with a magnificent view of the Capitol. My personal room is breath-taking. There is a gigantic bed with blue comfy sheets and blanket with many pillows. A table in the side. On the table lays a lamp and a remote that controls the TV on the wall. I decide to scroll through the other area's reaping's before going to bed tonight. But in the mean time, I walk into the bathroom and take a shower to clean myself of the make up. After I brush out my damp hair I pull on an emerald green sleeping gown, and throw on a light black sweater to hide my pale shoulders. After I slip on a pair of slippers, I walk into the kitchen where Natsu, Gildarts, Effie, Camcer, and Virgo are already sitting waiting for me to join them.


	5. Chapter 5

"Lucy, come and sit down." Effie waved me over "We are just going over all the other Tributes, the ones that you'd want as an ally and the ones that you don't want."

"Yes yes. Anyway," Gildarts said "11 would be a great team for allies, I would choose them if I were you. 10 you should really stay away from but their names are Bixlow and Evergreen. From 9 is Gray and Juvia, good allies but watch out for them all the same. 8 has Mystogan and Lisana, strong but no clue if you would want them or not so be careful with those two. 7 is wonderful and I highly suggest you have them as allies, though I forget their names."_Dumb ass _"6 unknown to me me but dont want them as allies so keep away. From 5: Freed and Cana, great allies. : Romeo and Wendy, they may look small but they're fierce. Frrom 4 to 1 stay away and make sure that you have a good distance between you and them. 3, again unknown. 2, Elfman and Mirajane. And finally, from 1, Laxus and Erza. These two are strong and very fierce and I'd keep an eye out for them if I were you."

"Okay, so I got that 11, 9, 8, 7, and 5 are good and 10, 6, 4, 3, 2, and 1 we gottta stay away from?" Natsu said and looked rather confused.

'Yes, exactly." Gildarts answered.

"I don't trust any of them." I fold my arms and lean back in the chair.

"It's not about trust, it's a matter of staying alive." Gildarts says.

"He's right." Cancer tells me "Even if you don't trust them, you need allies in the Games."

"Thank you." Gildarts waved his hand over to Cancer. "If you decide to go solo in the Arena, their first move is going to be to hunt you down."

"Fine, my ally is Natsu." I throw my arms into the air, annoyed.

"Yeah, you're going to be the first one dead." Gildarts sighed.

"We should move on, shall we?" Effie said awkwardly.

"Right. So now that we have gone over the other Areas, what's your guys' strengths that will help you in the Games?" Gildarts asked. "Natsu, you first, go!"

"Uh...I'm good in hand-to-hand combat." Natsu said.

"Good, and you have great strength so that's going to come in handy for when you're in the Arena." Gildarts pointed to me "Lucy, you next."

"I have none." I say.

"Yeah right." Natsu said almost as if I'm lying.

"Well none unless you count reading and writing."

"How murderous." Natsu teased, I shoot him an annoyed glance.

"But you've got the brains." Gildarts pointed out "You don't only need strength, but knowledge in the Arena. Knowledge about what plants and berries are deadly and which ones aren't. How you find water, how you hunt for food. So Lucy, one of your strengths is your intelligence, but Natsu, that's something that you should work on."

"Yes, and tomorrow is your first day of training." Said Effie "You can each begin on working on your strength and intelligence then. Until then, rest, relax, sit back, and enjoy all of this." She spreads out her arms as if she's talking about the Capitol.

"Enjoy it?" I say angrily.

"Lucy." Natsu mutters, but I ignore him.

"Enjoy being sent off into an arena to kill people?! How damn joyful."

"That's the spirit, Lucy!" Effie says, clapping.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear: kids. Killing kids!" I don't know why I'm yelling, but I'm angry right now that I cant control myself. I stand up and storm off. I walk angrily onto the patio that overlooks the Capitol and crouch down once I'm hidden around a corner. I hide my face in my knees.

Why does _this _have to be my fate? Why is going off into a killing game have to be my future? Winning means fame and fortune, but losing means certain death...The 74th Annual Hunger Games have begun.

"Hey." says a voice and I nearly jump out of my skin because I was so startled. I didn't even notice that Natsu had walked out here and sat beside me. "What are you doing out here?"

"God! You scared me! How'd know I was out here?"

"I have my ways." He shrugged.

"Listen, you don't have to be here. I'll apologise to Effie later." I say turning my head away from him.

"Actually I _do _need to be here because I'm a Tribute, and you don't have to apologise to anyone. You had a point, you know. How could we enjoy this when we're about to go into the Hunger Games? In fact, how can _anyone _enjoy this, including the Capitol?" He says, I look over at him and see that he's glaring off into the distance.

"Well since they don't know what it's like to live in the Areas or go to the Reaping, they like to think of the Games as a sport, not a 'sacrifice' for our 'freedom'." I reply to him.

"True." Natsu agrees "But seriously, what are you doing out here?"

"Thinking." I say.

"About what?" He asked.

"Do you ever run out of questions?"

"Nope."

I sigh "Fine, I was thinking about the Games, just like all the other Tributes probably. I mean, I have no chance of winning, I'm not even good at combat!"

"So? You got intelligence, and that's just as good. Possibly even better, to be honest. You know, you and me could be allies. I have the strength and you got the brains." He says.

"Yeah, you're right, we would. But we both know that there's only one that will walk out of that Arena, and I don't want to be the one that shoots first." I say.

"And what if I don't, either? What if none of them do?" He replies. "But you're right, there's only one winner." We sit there in silence, watching the lights of the streets and houses twinkle throughout the Capitol.

"Better get going." Natsu said after a long time, breaking the peaceful silence "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." I echo back as he stands up and walks away.

* * *

"Okay you two, today is not only about your training, but about making allies." Gildarts told me and Natsu as we rode the elevator down to the training floor. "Make allies but not too many."

"Right." Natsu inhaled deeply as the elevator came to a stop and the door opened.

"Good luck, you'll need it." Gildarts slapped our backs and shoved us out, the door closes behind us and I hear the elevator begin to rise up. We walk along a long hallway without saying a word, until we come to a set of doors. I turn the handle and step in with Natsu right behind me.

There's several stations with swords, the bow and arrow, knot-tying, firemaking, for those who fancy the spear, knives, axes, rope climbing (to help us trees, so they tell me), and many otherrs.

Around four of the other Areas are gathered in the centre of the training room, huddled around a Capitol lady, out instructor. The rest of the Tributes are coming out of several different doors, possibly exiting their elevators from their Area level. Once we are all in the centre, our instructor begins talking.

"Welcome, all of you. Now, before you being your training, there are some rules that we need to go over first. For starters, you will not be fighting with other Tributes, you will have plenty of time for that in the Arena." I see that some of the Tributes are smirking and glancing at the others " Don't forget to test not only your strength, but also your intelligence. Many will run to the sword, but when it comes to a life-or-death situation, your knowledge may be more valuable than weapons..."After she told us that we can begin training, I stood there and watched. I'm startled to see how good Laxus, the boy from 1, is with the sword. Erza from 1 is also very strong and masters weaponry with breeze. Don't even get me started on 2: Elfman and Mirajane. Gray from 9 is very talented with the spear and not too bad with the axe either. Juvia is very skillful, especially when near or in water.

While they're all focused on swords and spears, I'm in the fire-making area. There is one other besides me who doesn't take any real interest in combat, Levy. She's practising her knot-tying skills on the other side of the training room; from time to time I catch her looking over at me.

Once we're halfway through our first training session, I decide to take Gildarts' advice and try my skills in combat. I go to the sword first, and automatically fail. When I tried to throw the spear in front of me, it ended up going the opposite way and nearly missing a nearby Peacekeeper. I'm okay with the knife, though if it came to a life-or-death situation, I think I'd have better luck with the spear. I tried hand-to0hand combat, and I'm not all that bad. I could probably take down someone if they dare mess with me. But once I came across to the bow and arrow, I saw that no one else was at the station, so I convinced myself to give it a go. There was a beautiful bow with a matching quiver that held perfect arrows. I picked up the bow and my hand began to tingle with satisfaction. I reached for an arrow and aimed it at the target. I took a deep breath, and let go of the string. I missed the centre and was in the black. I hear laughing behind me and see that Laxus and several of the other Tributes decided to watch me fail. Even Natsu joined the throng, but he wasn't laughing; instead he looked dead Sirius and nodded at me. I nodded slightly back and drew another arrow from the quiver; I placed it on the bow. I Take three deep inhales and exhales before firing the arrow. It landed dead centre of the target. I smile to myself, draw another arrow and sprint to the next target. Dead centre. Dead centre. Centre. I just missed the last one, but who cares?

I turn around and see that the other Tributes aren't laughing anymore, instead they are looking at me as if I am a ghost. Laxus looks the most impressed about me.

"Whose laughing now?" I smile sarcastically and place the bow and quiver down. I begin walking away to God knows where, when Laxus walks up to me.

"Not that bad shooting back there." He said.

"Thanks." I say not looking at him. If he's asking me to join his little team of allies, my answer is no and it won't change.

"Hey at the opening ceremony, I saw that your stylist made you and Natsu fairies."

"What do you want? If you're asking me to join your little...team, my answer is no." I say sternly.

"Nah, I figured you'd say that. But anyway, don't fairies have tails? You guys didn't, so doesn't that make you two tail-less fairies?"

"I guess so." I say.

"Watch your back in the Arena, fairy tail." He said "Oh look, here comes the other fairy tail." he walks away.

"What'd he want?" Natsu asked.

"Nothing, just to give you and me new nicknames."

"What?"

"The "fairy tails"." I say "He did want me to be part of his alliance, but I rejected the offer before he could ask."

"Of course you did." He sighed.

"Hey, Gildarts said that being in an alliance with them is like asking for a death wish." I point out.

"True." Natsu shrugs "You were pretty good with the bow."

"Thanks." I smile "You too."

"With what?"

"Your hand-to-hand combat skills."

"Who ever said that I was doing that, huh?"

"No one, I guessed." He laughs briefly and I smile back. We're going to need these moments, when we laugh and smile together because the second we step foot in that Arena, its lights out.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Gildarts asked us the second we walk out of the elevator.

"It was-" Natsu begins but Effie cuts him off.

"Wait wait, we'll talk about today's excitement over dinner. Come come, supper will be ready right away."

Once we were all seated at the table and our plates were full of different foods, then Effie allowed us to talk. "And...now, Natsu, give us details about today training."

Natsu explains all the things he saw and of what he did.

"Oh, and Lucy can shoot." Natsu points to me "She's excellent with the bow."

"Really?" Gildarts says "So, how long have you been an archer?"

"Excuse me?" I say, truth be told, I wasn't all that thrilled about talking about myself.

"You know what I mean. How long have you been able to shoot?" Gildarts said.

"Never. That was my first time. I've never actually held any sort of weapon until today." I say.

"Ah, so you're a natural?"

"Guess so." I reply.

"Lucy, that's great! See, you _do _have a chance of winning!" Effie claps.

"I have no chance of winning." Effie stops her hands in a heart beat.

"Well at least you have a chance. Some chance is better than none." Natsu says.

"Yeah, but I'm not too thrilled to shoot people through the heart with an arrow." I shoot back.

"Oh there's not just the heart, but the head, leg, arm, gut, hand, shoulder, throat, neck, anywhere that might either kill or slow the Tribute down so that they wont kill you." Effie points her finger to no one directly.

"Thanks for clearing that up." Gildarts said "But she's right, you don't have to kill. Just slow them down so that they wont kill you."

"I want 11, Levy." I say randomly.

"What?" Natsu asks.

"As an ally, I want Levy from 11 or no one." I say stubbornly.

"Well hat's your choice." Gildarts said "I'll help you as much as I can before you're in the Arena but when you're in there, it's all up to you, Lucy. So choose your allies carefully. I"m not saying that Levy is a bad choice, but she is only twelve and if it comes down to just the two of you left..."

"But that wont happen. I forbid it." I say.

"Just as you forbid to take my advice?"

"No, I'm taking your advice...some of it at least."

"I have a feeling that you're not going to last that long in the Arena if you keep on acting like this."

_Please, that's human ever gets far in the Games. But yet again, no one ever really gets far in the Games, unless you're a career, then you have a good chance of winning._

* * *

**_Hey guys!_**

**_Thanks for reading. And if you think that there's something that you think I need to improve on or want to say about how you feel about this story so far, please leave a review!_**

**_Thanks,_**

**_-EternalFlame8030_**


	6. Chapter 6

**For the rest of our training week, I've been going from station to station,** working on as much skills as possible. The Careers seem lke they no longer care about their training because they think that they're better than us, stronger than everyone else. And they probably are, but if I were them, I'd still keep my head in the game because everyone else is training real hard, too, and if they don't watch out, we may grow stronger than them.

I've been meaning to talk to Levy about forming an alliance, but I just haven't really found the right time yet. Even if she doesn't want to be, she's always surrounded by other Tributes such as Laxus, Gajeel, Gray, Erza, Mirajane, Juvia and much more. Plus, even if I want her as an ally, I'm thinking of going solo. I know that Gildarts is saying that if we go alone in the Arena, that they're first move is going to hunt me down. It's probably true, but let's say I have a bow in my hands, will they hunt me down then? They know how good I am with archery, they know I can shoot perfectly.

Tomorrow is our last day of training and then late afternoon tomorrow is our test. For the test (it's a solo test), we have to choose our skill and perform it in front of the Game Makers. They then give us each a score out of twelve and announce the scores later on that night. The Game Makers are the people that create each Arena for each Hunger Games, and let's say that when they choose, they have no mercy. The Arena can go from a frozen waste-land, a rain forest, a desert, or even an island. And near the end of the Games, when there's only around two or tree Tributes left alive, they add the grand finale...

* * *

"So, as you all know, tomorrow is your last day of training. Tomorrow is very important, so train damn hard, you two." Gildarts instructed us "Leave a mark in the Training room, be unforgettable."

"And how do we do that, you suppose?" I say.

"Show them your strength, prove how good you are. They'll be the ones who decide how strong you actually are, and will predict how long you'll last in that Arena." Gildarts replied. "The Careers will no doubt get a good score because they're the Capitol darling's, the pets of the Capitol."

"Right. So besides from your combat skills, Natsu, what else are you good at?"

"Not too bad with the axe." Natsu said "For you it's the bow."

I move my head in a nod.

"Ooh I really think this is going to be one of the best Hunger Games' yet!" Effie chirps "I truly believe this is going to be the talk of the show for many years to come!"

I have to bite my tongue so that I wont freak out. I have to control my anger. I used to never get so easily angered like this before, but now that I've woken up and I'm about to walk to my death, I'm going to "leave a mark", as Gildarts would put it.

Gildarts just raises his eyebrows in return to Effie's comment. I nearly forgot that he's a victor (the last living victor, to be exact) of 12. he was in the Games and he won... but how? "Anyway, don't mess up tomorrow. Do you got any allies yet?"

"I think I'm on the good side of 9 and 11. Though, I hate Gray and Gajeel. They look more like a ice-brain and metal-brain to me." Natsu said with pure dislike in his eyes.

"None for me. Unless you count Levy. Beside of which, haven't we gone over this topic a couple times already?" I say.

"Yes, but I'm your mentor. I'm teaching you how to survive in that damn Arena. And one way to stay alive is to have allies." Gildarts says.

"I'm thinking about going solo." I blurt out suddenly. The tension in the room was unbearable; Effie gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth, Cancer sighed and dropped his fork of steak onto his plate, Gildarts swore miserably under his breath, and Natsu nearly chocked on his drink. _Crap, now I've done it. _

"You...what?" Gildarts sputtered, barely able to say the words.

"I'm think about going solo in the Games."

"Lucy-" Natsu begins, but is immediately interrupted by Gildarts.

"Sweetheart, do you remember _anything _I have told you? Remember when I said that if you go alone in the Arena, that everyone's first move is going to hunt you down and kill you."

"Of course I remember, I'm not an idiot!" I snap back at him "But lets say I have a bow in my hands; will they come after me then? They know how well I can shoot." I say, speaking my mind.

"That's true, but lets say there's a big alliance going on through the Tributes (this happened once before) with like six or seven, will you be able to take them down then with just one bow?" Gildarts says.

"Obviously not." I said "But it's not like I'll go skipping into their little 'kill circle'."

"It's not exactly a 'kill circle.'" Natsu spoke up "It's more like a murderous gang."

"Whatever, same thing."

"_anyway_ the point is _to not go solo in that Arena._" Gildarts said seriously.

"Lucy, if you don't want any of them as an ally (besides from Levy), then you and I could be a team." Natsu suggested "Just how I said before, out on the patio."

Lucy remembered that night, when they were out on the patio, just the two of them. She remembered laying against Natsu's arm, looking at the lights flash and then flutter.

"Right." I said "Well, we'll see."

You're not going in there solo, and that's for sure." Natsu said stubbornly.

* * *

"_Area 12 Lucy Heartfillia" _The voice boomed over my head _"Please report for personal assessment._" A voice called over the speakers.

All the Tributes were placed in a room with twenty-four stools after our training session was over; they've been calling us one-by-one by Areas. Natsu and I were left alone for a while because we're the last Area. Once I get up and leave, Natsu will be by himself for a couple minutes until its his turn.

Just as I turn my back to Natsu, he stops me.

"Lucy," he said "shoot straight."

I nod "You too. Knock those suckers out." he smiles.

"Will do." I turn my back around and walk through the gates.

It's the normal training room, except for the big room on the side of the wall that the Game makers are in, going to watch me present my skill. I see a set of arrows and a bow, I walk over to it.

The Game makers are getting bored and tired of watching the Tributes show their chosen skill to them. They're laughing and talking with each other, and then there are actually a few that are paying attention.

I clear my throat "Area 12, Lucy Heartfilla." They all go silent and watch me.

I pick up the bow and run my fingers down an arrow before picking it up. I place the arrow carefully and look at the target. This time the target is taller and is in the shape of a human. There are yellow dots placed on it to show the most deadly spots.

I let go and the arrow only misses the yellow by an inch. I swear under my breath and hear laughter. I turn around and see that the Game makers have paid their attention else where. No wonder 12 always gets bad scores, because the Game makers never even watch them!

I take another arrow; it hits the head. Another hits the arm, then the leg. And finally, I grab hold of one more arrow and look straight. Dead centre.

Only a few are looking, and they look fairly impressed mixed with shock. I glare at them and pull out the last arrow. Instead of the actual Tribute with a bow and arrow in her hands, their attention is on a goose. The head Game maker, Jellal, picks up an apple from a table, and just before he can take a bite out of it, I shoot the arrow. The apple hangs on the wall. Jellal's eyes are wide with shock, and all the others gasps and looks at me.

"Thank you, for your participation" I say and do a sarcastic bow before putting the bow down and walk away.

* * *

"What is wrong with you?!" Effie shrieks when she gets the news "Shooting at the Game makers? You must be insane to do so! Oh, I wont be surprised if you get a _zero _for your training score, or worse. You could be executed!"

"Effie, relax." Cancer said "They wanted a good show and Lucy gave them one."

Wait until Gildarts hears about this!" She hisses "A! Speak of the Devil!" Gildarts walked into the room "Gildarts-"

Gildarts smiles and gives me a thumbs up "That. Was. Genius!" He laughs.

Natsu and Cancer smirk and I smile.

"What did you say to them? Thank you for your-"

"Participation." I finish with a laugh.

"Ah, that was smart! Genius! Well done, sweetheart."

"I don't think any of you know how serious this situation is!" Effie gasps.

"Oh yeah, and what will they do, huh? She's already going into the Games, so it's not like they can do much to her anymore." Gildarts says.

"They can give her a bad score and then she wont get any sponsors." Effie replies.

Everyone is silent. Maybe Effie is right about that...

"Well I guess we wont know until tonight." Gildarts says.

* * *

After dinner, we all sit down in the living room to watch the scores.

Ichiya introduces the show before giving out the scores of the Tributes out of twelve.

"Area 1, Laxus Dreyar with an ten. Erza Scarlet, with an ten. Area two, Elfman with a nine. Mirajane with a eight. Romeo from 4 gets a seven and Wendy with a eight. from 5, Freed has a ten and Cana gets a nine..." And so on "From 11, Gajeel Redfox with a eleven and Levy with a eight." Wow, for someone as small as Levy, a nine must make you feel like a real champion. That's a really good mark to get. "And finally, from Area 12, Natsu Dragneel has an, ten." We all cheer and congratulate him "And now last, but not least, Lucy Heartfillia with a score of..." I sit up and hope for the best "Twelve."

Gildarts shuts off the TV and the room fills with roars and cheers.

"Oh my goodness, Lucy! Congratulations, really!" Effie says with a huge smile.

"Good job, Lucy!"

"Excellent work!"

"Who could ever guess?"

"That was amazing!"

The cheers and compliments kept on pouring out of their mouths like maple syrup.

"Good job." Natsu said to me.

"Thanks, you too."

He nods and I see his mouth twitch a little.

"Someone get out the Chocolate-strawberry cake!" Effie ordered.

"Tonight we celebrate!" Gildarts laughs. You can tell he's already drunk. You don't need to see it to smell it.

It seems like this would never end, after a while I got too over whelmed and I went to my room for a bit.

_How the hell did I manage to get a twelve? I shot an arrow at them! Guess I shouldn't get upset about a good score, though. But at the same time, it only makes me a bigger target for them once we enter the Arena..._

My thoughts are endless as I drift off into a deep slumber.

**A/U**

**Hey dear readers! I know that things have been kinda slow in these chapters, but next chapter at the end of it I swear is when the good stuff begins...**

**Til next time,**

**~EternalFlame8030**


	7. Chapter 7

**I know, this chapter was updated so quick. I am really excited about this new chapter and just couldn't help myself! *Sigh* I need a life (Note hint of sarcasm in there!) Hope you enjoy this newest chapter! Thanks for the follows and favourites!**

* * *

For the next two days, Effie and Gildarts are going to teach me and Natsu a few things about how to get sponsors and how to "look good" on TV. Yes, in two nights, the night before we enter the Arena, there's this talk-show hosted by Ichiya, and he talks to all the Tributes. Then and there, we pretty much give our last words and thoughts before twenty-three out of the twenty-four of us are dead. So if there is anything that you want to confess, in two nights is the time for all us Tributes to do so.

Tonight is my last night that I can attempt to rest and relax, the two R's.

I wake up early in the morning, more like forced awake, by Effie banging on the door signing "Wake up, Lucy! We have yet another big, big, big day ahead of us, and we aren't going to waste a single minute of it!"

I groan and roll out of bed. once I'm awake and ate a muffin on my way to the living room, I see that Effie is holding a pair of scarlet red, strappy high heels. I put them on and when I got up, I wish I hadn't. I immediately fell down and my feet wont allow me to stand back up again. I stay down for a few moments, rubbing my sore ankles.

_How do people walk in these?_

"It's a talent, Lucy. Just how archery is your talent." Effie replies and I realize that I spoke aloud. _Not my only talent, though. Writing is my talent, not training to kill people. _

"Yeah, well this is physically impossible."

"No now, all you have to do is try. You certainly wont be flat shoes in two nights. It's like walking into a room wearing a shirt that says _I have lice._" Effie says "Now up, we have more that this that we need to work on."

I got back onto my feet and tried again, and again, and again, and again...and fell each time. But after the eleventh time, I finally got the hang of it and didn't fall for the first time. I began to walk and after a couple tries, I mastered that, too.

"Good! Now that we have the shoes out of the way, lets work on your manners."

_Oh joy. _

"Now, I know that you aren't too thrilled to go into the Games, but it doesn't mean that you cant make a good impression. And one single thing that will help you with that impression is manner, Lucy. Now, your dinner manners are absolutely perfect, but your social manners not so much. We made people gasp at the sight of you and Natsu at the opening ceremony, but you didn't have to talk then. This time you do, and whenever someone says something that you may not find exactly likeable, you always snap at them."

"No I don't" I snap and then swear under my breath.

"Point proven." Effie says "Anyway, you got to learn to think before you speak." Effie lectured me for hours and hours and then we began to talk in a way that will be similar to the way that it will be at the talk-show.

"You are improving, Lucy." Effie says kindly.

After that we all gathered for a late lunch before heading into separate directions again. While I'm with Effie, Natsu is with Gildarts. And while I'm with Gildarts, Natsu's with Cancer. Once we finish our turkey sandwiches and salads, we saw our goodbyes before heading off.

Effie keeps lecturing me on my manners, and then we practice the heel-walking again. And at last, by the end of the day,

"Well done, Lucy. I think you're ready."

* * *

"You're hopeless" Gildarts groaned.

"Well what am I supposed to do?!"

"Here's a thought: you could stop yelling."

"I know, but God, this is frustrating. _You are frustrating._"

"My thoughts exactly." Gildarts said "Can you at least try?"

"What do think I'm doing? Smelling the roses?" I stop myself before I throw another comment back at him again and remember what Effie said about manners.

Gildarts is trying to teach me how to talk when I'm on that stage, and what I should say; lets just say that it's not going too well.

"Listen, tomorrow is your last day before you're in the Arena. We need to take things seriously now. Can you try again?" I nod "Okay, thank you. _What has been the most interesting thing in the Capitol so far?_" Gildarts said, imitating the voice of Ichiya.

I clear my throat "Well its all been so wonderful that I couldn't possibly decide." I say curtly.

"That was perfect. Now throw a smile in the end there. This is for sure one of the questions that he's going to ask you, he asks it every year."

"Well it's all been so wonderful that I couldn't possibly decide." I repeat and toss a smile once I finish talking.

"Wonderful." We practice more and more lines and he too, teaches me to be more smiley, but its impossible considering I'm taking a trip to the Arena in two days.

After dinner, I lay down on my bed, and try to fall asleep, but I find it physically impossible. So instead I just lay there, and lay there, and lay there and lay there.

"Up up up!' Effie said again "We have yet another big big big day ahead of us!" I yawn and sit up. "Lucy, did you have an all-nighter last night?"

I nod.

"Well I can tell, you have black rings under your eyes, and you look like you just took a walk through a tornado. Comb out your hair and clean up, we have to work hard today." And sure enough, I was with Effie and Gildarts again today, but today I finally began to get good at it.

Two hours before the talk-show, we take a ride down in the elevator to the right floor and I go with my prep-team to wash up (again).

I cant help but shiver when Aquarius looks at me. God, she's scary.

After they rip the hairs off my legs and wash me up, Cancer comes in and helps me into the outfit. It's a brilliant gold dress. The whole dress is very tight except where my heels are, it's very lacy there. At the bottom (at the heels) it's a mixed colour with gold, bright yellow, and a sunset orange. The dress was sleeve-less but I'm thankful it didn't show.

"You ready?" Cancer says once he's finished making my hair into a braid and then wrapping into a hair-bun.

"Yes" I nod nervously.

"Okay good. When you're on that stage, I'll give you a signal and you get up and spin."

"What?"

"Just trust me, please." He begged, but he didn't need to. I already trust him, he's like an older brother to me somehow. "Lucy, just thought I'd tell you now if you didn't know: Because of your score, everyone says that you're on fire. So they nicknamed you both Girl on fire and fairy Tail."

I sigh "Again with the retarded nicknames?"

I walk to a line where are the other Tributes are placed in order of their Area and wait for my turn.

_"I-I just wished that I could have stayed here longer" _One of the unknown girls from an Area faked-cried "_I mean, the Capitol is just so amazing..." _the crowd of Capitol citizens look like they're about to cry, too.

"Does anyone believe this shit?" I turn to Natsu.

"Apparently everyone" Natsu nods to his prep team and I see that they're all in tears.

"Unbelievable." I mutter "We're surrounded by lunatics."

Natsu chuckles "Just noticed?"

"I've noticed the second they called my name at the reaping." I reply coolly. I hate talking about the reaping, the Games, and even the Capitol. It just makes me even more terrified about the day that tomorrow is going to give to us...

"Up you go, now Lucy" Gildarts shoves me, breaking my train of thought. I walk toward the door and hear the words:

"You may know her as the Fairy Tail or as the Girl on Fire, but let's give a round of applause to Area 12: Lucy Heartfillia!" I walk on the stage and I automatically feel sick to my stomach. The whole Capitol has its eyes on me, literally. I see Ichiya and slowly walk to him, my heart beating a million times faster than it should be. Ichiya has spiky misty orange hair, tiny black eyes with rather large eyebrows, his face looks like its made of plastic. He's the host of this talk show. And for some very odd reason, he always says "Men" at the end of most of his sentences.

Ichiya looks at me like he's saying something, but I'm nit listening.

"...Capitol?" He finishes.

I look at him confused "Pardon me?"

The crowd explodes with laughter.

"Ahaha!" Ichiya laughs "Looks like someone is a bit nervous, Men. Lucy, I said 'what are you enjoying most about the Capitol?"

I think about what Effie and Gildarts taught me... "Well it has all been so wonderful that I couldn't possibly decide." The crowd goes 'Aw'.

"Ooh, a very heart worming statement, Men." Ichiya said "Now, what do you think about your high score? Will it give you good or bad luck, do you think?"

I think about this for a minute "I think it will give me neither."

"Please explain yourself, Men."

"I mean, it will for sure make me a bigger threat while I'm in the Arena, but knowing me, I'm not always lucky, so it makes me a pretty bug target."

"Yes yes, very true indeed. Is there anyone at home waiting for you to return home?"

"I have a close friend and he's actually like a brother to me." I say and I can feel my eyes getting blurry with tears.

"Before we finish, is there any last words? Men."

I look at Cancer and he nods at me. The signal. "No words, but..." I get up and spin as told. I hear the crowd gasp and after I nearly fall from dizziness, I stop. I'm a fairy. My dress went up in flames, but I felt no burn for some strange reason, and I was transformed into a fairy, just like at the ceremony.

"Whoa ho ho~" Ichiya said shocked "Woo, that is amazing! Spectacular!"

That was the end of my turn and then Natsu walks onto the stage.

"Welcome, Mr. Dragneel, welcome..." Ichiya greeted Natsu as he sits down.

"Now now, settle down!" the crowd instantly fell silent.

"Natsu, what do you find most interesting about the Capitol?"

"The food!" Natsu smiled and patted his stomach.

And the crowd goes wild!

"Oh, hahaha! Now on a more serious note, what are your thoughts on the Games?" Ichiya hisses the S.

Natsu thought about this "I'm all fired up."

"That's it? Nothing else?"

"Nope"

"Well, that is truly something!" The crowd explodes with laughter once again "Is there anyone at home that you wish to say any last words to?"

"No" He says without hesitation.

"Really? Not even a special someone (if you know what I mean)?"

He shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint ya Ichiya, but I normally keep to myself."

"I wish you luck in the Arena Natsu, and may the odds be ever in your favour." Ichiya says "And here we have it, folks! Area 12, Natsu Dragneel!"

* * *

I wake up to the sound of banning on my door.

_The Arena. The Games...Oh sh**, this is going to be one heck of a day. Hopefully I'll still be alive by the end of it._

_Many wont be._

I get up and throw on a dark coat and slip on shoes.

I didn't sleep at all last night. I was too terrified about the dreams that would haunt me about today. I got to stop having these all nighters, but I have a feeling that there wont be too many left, so I don't have to worry...

I walk onto a hovercraft that all the other Tributes are placed on. I find a seat by Natsu and the aircraft takes off.

Capitol people are coming to us one-by-one to stick a needle or something in us.

"Give me your arm." One of them comes up to me.

I hesitate but then give it to her.

"What is _that?_" I feel a sharp pain go up my right arm.

"Your tracker" of course, I should have know. How else would they spot us?

We land after an hour or two. Cancer is waiting for me once I walk off,we walk into a different room where lay an outfit, some food and water, and a tube. I'll have to step into that tube soon for the Games.

I pull on a pair of dark green pant, a black tang-top and a black coat with orange outlines. Cancer pulls my blonde hair into a beautiful braid.

"Sit down Lucy" I sit down obediently. I eat a dinner roll, a bowl of stew and some fruit nervously.

"So Lucy, when we are told, you need to step into that tube," Cancer points to the tube "the tube will transfer you into the Arena were you have sixty seconds until the Games begin."

"Right" I say, trying to take it all in.

I stop eating and fold my hands on my lap, trying to stay calm, but I'm beginning to have an anxiety attack. Luckily, it wasn't too bad and I managed to calm down before-

_"Sixty seconds. Please enter the tube."_

I look at Cancer and he nods at me.

"It's time" he says.

I stand up and stop five feet in front of the tube. I turn around and see that Cancer is behind me. He pulls me into a hug that I'm grateful for.

"You know, us stylists aren't allowed to bet on the Tributes, but if we could, I'd bet everything I have on you, Fairy Tail."

I try to smile, but I cant find the strength to do so. "Thanks" I mumble.

_"Twenty seconds."_

I slowly step into the tube with one foot behind.

_"Ten seconds."_

It's time to find my courage. I pull the other foot in and turn around. I breath heavily, and my anxiety attack hits hard.

Cancer is nodding at me, mouthing the words _it's okay, you'll be fine, fire girl. I'll still bet on you, Fairy Tail._

The plate that I'm standing on inside the tube raises, and I'm being lifted up into the Arena.

I'm blinded by a bright light before I see this years' Arena.

It's a forest. We're surrounded by trees. All the Tributes are standing on plates, after rising from the tubes. The plates are formed in a circle around the Cornucopia. The Cornucopia has all the weapons, food, water, warmth, anything we need to survive the Games is in there. There are several backpacks spread out through the circle. The closest one tom me is twenty feet. I look for a bow, and then I spot one; directly in front me, all I need to do is run thirty feet to get it before any one else does. _There's two bows..._ There are two bows, both are placed in different places. The one in front of me and one other farther away. Looks like I'm not the only archer.

_"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games begin!" _The voice of Ichiya booms over our head.

A giant clock is placed over the Cornucopia, counting down from sixty.

_Fifty-five._

Get the bow, Lucy. That's the first step: Get the bow and possibly a pack...

_Forty._

Think of Gildarts's advice; find water and get to high ground. Rule number one: stay off the ground.

_Twenty-five._

Calm down, Lucy.

_Fifteen._

Natsu...Where is he?

I find him on the other side of the circle, I wont get to him in time...

_Ten._

I get ready to run.

_Five._

I take a deep breath, just as the cannon goes off.

* * *

**A/N**

**Ooh, oh yes I did! Cliffhanger! **

**The seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games has begun...**

**(TO BE CONTINUED!)**

**EternalFlame8030**


	8. Chapter 8

My feet hit the ground as I jump off the platform and make a run for it. My ears are ringing, making it impossible to hear anything. My breathing gets heavier by the second as I go as fast as I possibly can. I look at my sides and see that the two Tributes beside me are at least ten seconds behind me. Seems like I got off to a good start.

My fingers reach the bow, and I fling the quiver of arrows onto my back. I run back but run into a Tribute, he has a sword. I fell to the ground as we ran into each other. He gets over top of me and raises the sword, about to end my life. I struggle to break free, but he's stronger than me. But then suddenly he gasps in surprise and falls down, lifeless. A long, thick, razor-sharp knife is sticking out from his back. A small scream of surprise escapes my lips. I look up to see who the killer was and see Mirajane, her eyes full of fear and shock, as if surprised that she just killed someone. But then she sees me and pulls out another knife. Luck for me, the boy was not only holding a sword, but one of the packs in his other hands. I grab the pack just in time and use it as a shield. The knife sticks out of the pack.

I grin. _Thanks for the extra weapon._

I hear her swear under her breath. I get back on my feet and run toward the trees. Just before I'm in the tree-line, I get another glimpse of the death scene.

Gildarts wasn't kidding when he said that the beginning at the Cornucopia was going to be a blood bath. Most of the green grass was covered in a thick, red layer of blood. I saw faceless bodies laying lifeless on the ground, covered in blood. The last person I see is Gajeel from 11, he got his hands on a sword. But he took down one in order to get it. I look forward, not wanting to see anymore. I feel like vomiting, but I force myself to settle down. I run through a bush, the branches and twigs scratching my cheek.

"Ow!" someone yelled. I just ran into another Tribute.

Great...

It's Cana. She tries to grab a knife, but then hesitates. So do I as I grab an arrow.

We look at each other with fear in our eyes.

"Dammit." I mutter.

"Just this once." Cana understood and agreed without me needing to say anything. We run in opposite directions. Damn! I should have formed an alliance with her! Unlike many of the other Tributes besides from Natsu and Levy, Cana wasn't all that bad.

_Natsu... _Oh my god! I lost him! Where is he?! He could be dead already? Damn it, Lucy! The one person you knew you had an alliance with and I lost him!

But I don't have time to worry about that now.

After I tun for another good ten minutes, I stop to catch my breath. There's no one in sight. Good.

I decide to take five and look and see what's in the pack that I got from that dead Tribute.

Rope (this will come in handy), matches, dried fruit, crackers, some slices of honey ham, a small sleeping bag, and a water bottle. Water bottle! I twist open the cap, and attempt to take a gulp, but no water came out. It was bone dry. Curse those Game-makers!

I thank god for the food and other supplies that were supplied in the pack. The pack was a deep black with silver outlines. I start walking again when I hear a canon go off.

Each canon sound means the death of a Tribute. One. Two. Three. Four.

Four dead in the first hour, twenty remain alive. I keep walking until the sun goes down slightly, that's when I found a tall tree and climbed up it. I found a secure branch high up the ground. I took my pack off and took out the sleeping bag and the rope. I laid the sleeping bag down on the branch and placed myself inside it. I then tied myself to the branch using the rope. I rest my back against the thick trubk of the tree, and just as the sky turned a misty blue, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

I was jolted awake by a noise. Someone was here. I silently untie the rope and pull my sleeping bag away as well as my rope. I pull an arrow out from the quiver and see who the Tribute is._  
_

It's Gray Fullbuster from 9.

I aim and about to shoot. His back is turned to me and he keeps whispering the name "Juvia" as he looks around. Juvia is the other Tribute from 9.

My fingers are beginning to let go when he says suddenly "Are you going to shoot me or not?" He shocked me. He turned and looked me in the eye.

_How the hell did he know I was up here? _

"Well?" He demanded "I don't have all night."

I cant do it. I cant kill someone even though I know he could kill me right now.

"F***k" I swear.

Gray smiled. "Knew you couldn't do it."

"Oh yeah, and like you would? Ya know, it's not exactly fun to kill someone." I say. _Why am I talking to him? One of us should be dead by now!_

Gray looked at the ground "I already did." _He already killed someone? One of the Four dead Tributes was killed by him? _

"Who?"

"Boy from 6." He says "You don't have to stay up there any longer, I ain't gonna kill you. I think one is enough for one day." He said darkly.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't." He smiled.

"Hey, aren't you with the other from 9, Juvia?" I ask.

"I was supposed to be, but I lost her during the blood bath. God knows if she's dead or alive now."

I say "You and me both. I couldn't find Nastu either."

"You're allies with that flame head?" Gray said.

"Yeah." I nod "He doesn't like you either." I reply "He calls you ice brain."

"What the hell do I have anything to do with ice?!"

"You should ask him." I shrug my shoulders. "Hey, don't talk so loud," I go into a sudden whisper "there could be more around."

Gray goes radio silent.

"Get off the ground, get up high."

He climbs up the same tree and sits on a branch lower than me.

"Does this means we're allies?" Gray asked.

"Well if we weren't allies then one of us would have been dead by now." I point out.

"True." Gray agreed.

All of a sudden an anthem played over our heads I look up and see the Tributes that have fallen. The pictures shows the boy from 3, both from 6 and the girl from 7.

"Four." I said.

"Twenty to go." Gray added. He looked rather upset when the boy from 6's picture appeared.

"Hey, look on the bright side: Juvia and Natsu aren't dead yet."

"Yeah." Gray said.

Did Gray continue talking? I have no idea. I sort of blocked out the whole world and fell sound asleep.

* * *

A hand clapped over my mouth. I woke up straight and come face to face with Gray. He puts his finger to his lips and points down. He removes his hand and I stay mute as I see whose under us.

The Careers.

_"We're dead meat." _I mouth to Gray, hopefully he can lip read.

_"Not yet we aren't. Stay quiet. They haven't seen us yet." _Turns out he can.

I look below and see the Tributes from Areas 1,2, the girl from 3, and 4.

But there was another, the boy from 7.

"Which way did she go?" Laxus said as he grabbed the boy from his shirt and dragged him.

"I-I-I...She went this way. I think..." He mumbled the last part.

Laxus threw him to his feet.

"You said you knew where she was!" He yelled.

"I did-I mean I do," the boy stuttered "She went this way, I saw her. She was with that boy from 9."

I looked suddenly over to Gray.

_They are looking for me? _

A small gasp escapes my lips without warning and I quietly slap my hand over my mouth.

The Careers below us look around to find the source of the noise, but as long as I keep my mouth shut, they don't need to know we're up here.

"What was that?" Mirajane asked.

"It might be another Tribute. Keep your eyes open." Laxus growled.

"Bingo." One of them spots a camp fire a couple feet away. They smirk and run off in the opposite direction.

Whoever started that fire was an idiot, did their mentors not tell them to not to go on the ground at night?!

My thought ends as I hear someone scream at the top of their lungs, and then it all went silent before another cannon goes off.

"Make that nineteen left." Gray whispers.

Laughter fills the air as the Careers come back out way.

"Did you hear him?"

"_No, no please! Don't kill me!_" One of them mocked the dead Tribute. _Those bastards.__  
_

"Hey, good acting" they laughed. "That was pretty good."

Laxus and the red-hair girl, Erza from 1 steps aside from the rest of the group.

"Do you think we should kill him?" Erza asked.

"Nah, not yet. If we don't find that Fairy Tail soon then you have the honours." Laxus said.

"Are you sure about this?"

He nods "Positive once she's dead we know we have a good chance of winning."

_Fools. They should make sure no Tributes are around them when they go over a plan... _

_Dammit, that's right, I have the best score out of all the Tributes and all I did was shoot an arrow at the Game-makers!_

The Careers walk away but Gray and I are still silent for a couple more minutes before we talk again.

"How'd you get a twelve?" Gray asked.

I shrug my shoulders "I just shot an arrow at the Game-makers."

_"You did what?_"

"You heard me loud and clear." I say.

"I'm surprised they didn't execute you." Gray said "But yet again there's a good chance you might die here in the Arena, too."

"Don't remind me" I shoot back "Besides you might not be the "grand winner" either."

"Never said I was."

* * *

Gray and I began walking a few hours after sunrise, we walked slowly and several times we heard noises behind us but it turns out to be nothing but a simple little rabbit.

But of course, white rabbits weren't the only things we ran into. We ran into two other Tributes. They tried to kill us, but instead, we hurt them. We didn't want to or have have enough time to kill them before they ran off again, so I just shot an arrow in their knee or leg to slow them down.

Other than that, the day went by uneventful. We stopped two times to have a small nibble of the dried fruit pieces before getting up and walking again. Still no sign of Natsu nor Juvia. They're not dead, otherwise there would have been a cannon and their picture would be put into the sky last night. We began to find a new spot to crash for the night when we heard footsteps behind us.

"Well well well. Look who we have here." Laxus smirked as he gripped his sword "a Fairy and an Ice-brain.

"Shit." Gray said. I nodded in agreement.

The Careers.

**Hey Guys! Don't forget to follow /favourite this story if you haven't already. Please leave a comment, I love to hear feedback. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**They're finally in the Arena.**

**What will happen next now that Lucy and Gray ran into the Careers?**

**Find out in nine, coming soon to an area near you! ;) **


	9. Chapter 9

The Careers had Gray and I cornered. We were lucky they didn't see us last night, but we don't have that 'lucky charm' on us again this time.

"We got her!"

"Good eye, Elfman!"

"They are dead meat now."

The Careers' cheers seemed endless. Well, why wouldn't they cheer?They caught their bighest target: me. The Girl on Fire, a Fairy Tail.

"Oh shit." Gray muttered. I agreed through a nod of my head. We're in some deep trouble right now. I should run, but my feet are glued to the ground and refuse to move. I should speak, say something, but I cant find the words...I'm completley terrified. I wasn't the same, fearful, strong Tribute that I was only a few moments ago. Or that I thought I was. I'm exactly the same thing as everybody else remaining alive in this Arena: human.

At one minute, we believe we're all strong, mighty amd bold. Then the next, we're these fearful, weak cowards hiding in the corner, crying for the darkness to pass. Begging there to be a light in the coner-ful of darness.

Gray turned to me, and whispered smething in my ear, though I didn't hear what. I gave him a confused look, but he didn't see. I didn't heae, he didn't see;_ what a coincidence, huh?_

Laxus grabbed his sword, he smirked, then he broke into a run toward us.

Gray gripped onto his spear so hard that his knuckles turned white. His free hand was half an inch away from the handle of his axe.

"Lucy! Now!" Gray shouted.

_But do what_? Then it hit me like God had just slapped across the back of my head saying "Think Lucy! Think!"

_Run_.

That's what Gray had whispered.

"But-" I tried to protest.

"Lucy, it's okay." Gray gave me a reassuring smile before he charged Laxus. But Laxus is too strong and we both know it.

"Gray, no!" I yell, but too late.

Laxus swung his sword and snapped Gray's spear head off in less than a second. Laxus swung his sword back around, attempting to reach Gray's head. But Gray ducked down just in the nick of time. That gave Gray just the time he needed to take out his axe.

Gray lifted his axe above his head, ready to take the death blow, when-

Someone flung the self on me, knocking me down to the hard cold ground. I got to my feet, slat some dirt out of my mouth, then I pulled out an arrow; ready to shoot. I saw the face of my attacker: Elfman. I'm about to let go, but once again, I find myself too weak to do so. I looked into his eyes and do you know what I saw? Pain. Pain, fear, regret, loss. I just couldn't pull myself to do it. So instead he took this opprotunity to aim a knife at me. It luckily just missed my left eye temple.

"Lucy!?" I hear Gray's cry of concern._ Damn, he put down his gaurd_! Laxus threw his sword Gray's leg, causing Gray to fall his knees in pain.

"Gray!" I scream, right as Laxus pushes his sword deep into Gray's back, directly where his heart should be. Gray takes one last gasp and cry of surprise.

Then it's over.

I was too shocked- too scared to do anything.

I may have only known Gray for one whole day, but he is- was, my ally. No, he was a friend, not some stranger I teamed up with. He was the only company I had in this Arena. And now he's dead, because of me. I did nothing except stand there and watch him die. I'm pathetic.

I stand up and lift my bow again. But before I can charge Laxus, because I'm me, I slipped and rolled down a steep hill that the Game Makers decided to be so 'generous' and lay it there behind me two seconds ago.

Once I get to the bottom, and come to a stop, I "Shit!" I exclaim. "Stupid Game-Makers!" Gildarts would have given me a thumbs-up, wicked smile, and then a over-excited high-five. Then I hear a cannon go off. Must be Gray's…

"She's down here!" Mirajane shouted.

"Well go after her!" Laxus barked from somewhere above. "We're NOT loosing her now!"

I feel my feet suddenly moving, and I notice that I began to run blindly. Footsteps come from behind me; the Careers are hot on my trail. But not for long.

I make sudden twists and turns to loose them, and I believe I do for a few moments because everything is silent. But then I heard, "This way! She's right there!" and ran again. It seems like I've been running for hours until a new noise interupts the yells and pounding footsteps of the near-by Careers: water.

My ears ring from the sound of rushing water. I feel my heart do a leap of joy. By the sounds of it, it sounds like a lake or small river. I follow the sound of water and that's when I notice there's no more footsteps._ I've lost them!_

"Water!" a Career yelled somewhere from behind me, then the footsteps begin to pound again.

I mutter a word that my mother would have put a bar of soap in my mouth for…if she was still alive that is.

My feet dig into the ground, searching for the source of water. I pull out my knife and slashed at several branches, vines, and bushes that got in the way of escape from the Careers. The knife connected with one last vine before I saw the lake. A small waterfall flew water into the large lake.

"Footprints!" Laxus's voice shrieked. "Follow the footprints!"

I made a wild guess that they were five minutes behind me, ten tops. I grabbed the waterbottle out from the backpack and quickily drank a gulp of the water before filling it again and shoving it back into the backpack.

The footsteps are getting closer, I've wasted too much time!

I'm not a bad swimmer, but I'm not what you'd call "perfect", either. My mother taught me when I was a child in a small pond outside of Area 12, in a medow with beautiful green trees hiding us from unwanted eyes.

I take a deep breath before diving smoothly in the water. The water is freezing and I immediatley feel goosebumps forming on my arms and legs. But I still do not rise above water. Instead, I continue to swim onwards, underneaththe icy water.

_Icy…_

_Ice…_

_Gray…_

I gulp some water at the thought of him and had to rise above the water to breath.

"There she is!"

"Get her!"

The Careers dived into the lake, swimming fast toward me. I swimmed as fast as my shivering arms and legs would let me go.

Keep going, Lucy. You can do it, you can do it…

I kept telling myself. Before I knew it, my head connected with something hard.

With all the words coming out of my mouth today, my mother would've had to buy two or three more bars of soap.

"Damn!" I swear when I see that my head hit land. The other side of the lake! The Careers were only at the middle of the lake, this gives me another head start.

I continue to run through the forest until I see a flash of blue. I decide to ignore it until a sweet, gentle voice spoke.

"Psst!"

•••

**A/N**

**Hello! Sorry it took so long for me to update! But was it worth the wait? Yes, no, maybe so? Yay or nay? I know you're probably mand at me for killing off Gray, but you'll see why later in this story, I promise! Until then, hang on, for there are many more tears to be shed yet, through out! Muwahahaha (fake evil laugh :P)**

**who do you think this "mysterious person" is? Comment below what you think! :)**

**~EternalFlame8030**

**PS** Sorry for this insanley short chapter, but next chapter WILL be longer!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Psst!" the gentle voice said again.

I look at my surrondings, but I see no one. "Whose there?" I whisper back. I begin to pull out an arrow and ready to place it on my bow.

"No!" the voice whispered firmly. "I don't mean amy harm."

"Show yourself!" I demand. I can tell the mystery person hesitates, but then I hear bushes rustle. A small figure with wavy blue hair steps ot from the bush beside me. Levy. Her blue hair is tied back messily, her jeans are torn in some parts, and she looks awefully cold and tired.

"Follow me! I know a safe place."

I'm about to protest to the person who I always wanted to be allies with, when I hear voices.

"Land! We reached the other side!"

"Get going, then! Don't just stand around!"

"Follow me," Levy begs again, this time looking terrified.

I look at her suspiciously. Even though I really wanted to be her ally since we came to the Capitol, how do I know if Gajeel is behind her? But still, find myself following her through the bushes.

"Get up there!" Levy pointed to a very tall-looking tree. I was about to protest (again…) when I heard the Careers' footsteps getting closer. I knew I had no choice, so I obediently followed at Levy's heels up the tree. The braches and leaves hid us from the Careers' veiw.

"We lost her!"

"Fuck!" Laxus kicked a close-by tree three times before turning his attention to the boy they took hostage. Laxus marched over to him.

"You said you knew where the hell she was!"

"I-I did! I mean- I, I do!" the boy stuttered.

"Then where the hell is SHE?" Laxus roared.

The boy didn't answer back.

"Why you little…" Laxus stomped with his sword in hand.

"N-no! NO!" the boy screamed with terror-filled eyes. "We' her! I'll find her! Please, please!" the boy gave a final shriek before the sword plunged deep into his neck. Laxus drew his sword back furiously, allowung the boy's limp body to fall to the ground. Red covered his neck and made a small puddle of blood beside his body. Laxus' sword was dripping with red, blood sliding off and onto the ground. The cannon fired.

Levy whimpered beside me and hid her face in her hands and buried her face in her knees.

"Let's go." Laxus growled as he and the rest of the Careers stormed off into the distance.

"A-Are they gone?" Levy asked shyly.

"Yes," I sigh in releif. "Are you alright, Levy?"

She nods. "Sorry, I just hate blood.

"I understand." I say. I remember all the blood I saw as a small child when my parents got killed, and at the cornucopia. And at Grays death scene. I'm seventeen and I hate the sight of blood, but imagine what it is like for small, twelve-year-old Levy.

"We should go." I begin to climb down the tree.

Levy echoes, "We should go." she nods then follows behind me.

On the last branch, my hand slips and scrapes my arm on a sharp point of the dang branch. I feel blood comkng down my elbow.

"Crap." I mutter quietly, not wanting anyone to hear me if they are near-by. I don't know about you, but I do not want another running marathon for my life.

"Here."Levy whispers as she takes hold of my arm. Normally I would push that person away and clean it up myself. But I'm so tired and sore that I don't even care anymore. Besides, I trust Levy. "Lucy, this may hurt a little." she warns carefully.

I break out of my daydream. "Wait what?" but too late, Levy pours a crystal clear liquid on my bleedng arm. "Ow! Dammit that hurts!"

"I know." Levy says soothingly. "Believe me, I know."

"What do you mean?" I ask levy.

"Yesterday, I ran into Lisana. She got me pretty badly." Leevy lifted up her pant leg only to show a red, ugly scar that goes from her knee down to her ankel. "Lucky for me, I have a sponsor that sent medicine. This is the leftovers." she indicates to the clear liquid in aa small glass bottle.

"Does it hurt?"

She shrugs. "A little, but I'm fine. It makes me run a little slower, but that's okay. What matters right now though, is your arm. We don't want it to get infected."

It is official. Levy dsserves to win. She is so sweet, too kind to die. To gentle, too small to die now.

"…Lucy?" Levy looked at me. She was already on her feet, ready to go while I'm still sitting, staring off into space.

"Hm? Oh, sorry." I stand and walk along beside her.

"That's okay. No need to apologise." Levy shrugged with a gentle smile. "We should get going, find high ground before sunset."

The sky is beginnng to turn into a misty orange.

"Right." I say.

* * *

"What about this one?" Levy pointed to a big oak tree.

"Why not?" we climb up.

Once we're high off the ground,nwe sit on a branch. I dig through my backpack, searching for the rope to tie usnsafely to the tree.

We sit there in silence, watching the last glimpse of the sun setting over the herizon. Levy's small head rests on my shoulder.

"Who are you?" Levy asked randomly.

"Pardon?"

"Who are you? What do you like, dislike. Your hobbies, favourite colors. Dreams of the world."

I think about it carefully. "I'm Lucy Heartfillia. I like the story of the celestal spirits, I like reading. I don't like The Hunger Games. I want to become an author when I grow up. My favourite color is blue."

Levy smiles. "No way! I love reading and writing, and I wish to become an author to! Though my favourite color is orange. Do you know what else I like? Music. I love listening to the different melodies and listening to different beats of new types of music." she added dreamily.

"Well music is pretty lovely." I smile with a faint laugh.

"I really like that book: Celestal Spirits. It's amazing to think that they may exist. Whose your favourite spirit?"

"Probably Leo the Lion." I say.

"I like Plue. He's so cute! He's a dog, yet he looks like a snowman! Or so they say…"

"You," I poke her stomach playfully. "Are pretty outstanding, you know that? You have something that no one else has."

"What?" she asked curiously.

"Hope. You see the beauty in the world that no one else can see. You always look in the bright side of things, no mater what."

Levy smiled. "Maybe that's why everyone says I'm so innocent..."

"Maybe."

Levy yawned and cuddled in closer, I see her eyes flutter shut.

"Levy?"

"Yeah?"

"No matter what, you'll win the games. I'll make sure of it: you''re going home and that's final."

* * *

Levy and I continued to walk after we woke up, had a gulp of water, and ate a piece of dried fruit or two.

Levy continued to skip beside me, talking to me about "Celestal Spirits."

"And did you know that Leo can-" she paused, her face plastered with fear. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I ask.

"A cannon." and as if on cue, a cannon fired. "Make that two."

"T-two? Already? But it is only morning…"

"LUCY!" another voice yelled from the distance.

I know that voice anywhere.

"Natsu?!"

"Isnt he the guy from your Area?" Levy asked and I nodded.

"LEVY!" a unfamiliar voice yelled from far away.

"Gajeel?!" Levy cried.

Gajeel?! Is he near… shit, I better get out of here if he is...

This was the first time I've heard of Natsu since I entered the Arena, I'm not going to loose him now.

Levy must have been thinking the same thing. We both began to run in opposite directions, when we stopped.

"It's okay, we'll find each other again." Its okay, we will find each other real soon. I promise."

She nodded.

I hate having to leave her like this, but she needs to find Gajeel, and I need to find Natsu.

"Hey, hey." I pull her into a hug. She wraps her arms around my waist. "I swear on my writing abilities that I will find you." she giggled a bit in my neck before we went seperate ways.

I kept my feet on the ground, going faster by each step.

"LUCY!" His voice is getting closer.

"NATSU!" I continue running. I enter a field with the weeds up to my waist, and that's when I see him.

His pink hair is messy and tangled, his clothes torn and ripped. He has blood coming down the side of his face, he's holding his arm painfully, and he appears to be limping.

"Natsu…"

I wonder how I must look like to him. Probably just as bad.

Natsu limps toward me and I sslowly walkm toward him.

And that is when I hear it.

A scream. But not just any scream, a bone crunching shriek-and it was a little girls'.

"LUCY! HELP ME! HELP!"

"Levy…" I hesitate, but then I quickily turn around and run again just as Natsu was ten feet away from me.

"LUCY!"

"LEVY! I'm coming! I'm coming!" I yelled back.

"HELP!" I ran for several minutes until I ran into an opening in the forest. And in that opening, I see Levy. Her body is entangled in a net, she is shaking madly. Tears are streaming down her face.

"Lucy!"

"Levy!" I fall to my knees and pull out my daggar. I cut the rope that ties her to the ground.

"L-Lucy, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" she kept on saying over and over again

I finish cutting the rope and Levy flies into my open arms. Her body presses against mine as I keep telling her that she's safe now and dthat I'm with her.

I hear a branch snap from smewhere in front of us.

I don't even see who the attacker is before the arrow flies into Levy's body.

_**A/N**_

_**Cliffhanger! Oh yes I did! **_

_**Whatcha think of this chapter? Please add a reveiw and let me know!**_

_**Ah… I love a good cliffhanger, don't you?**_

_**I'll warn you now: have a box of tissues while you read the next chapter because it will be SAD!**_

_**\- EternalFlame8030**_


	11. Chapter 11

Romeo's body hit the damp gravel, my arrow sticking out from his neck. Blood shined and stained the once clean arrow. I can hear his breathing from several feet away: heavy, deep, and raspy. It sounded like he was choking… on blood.

"Levy, was there anyone else?" I pant heavily, but I don't get a reply. "Levy?"

I turn around and the whole world froze.

Levy stood behind me, eyes as wide as the sea, her eyes were lookong at the ground as her face grew paler. Then I saw the arrow. The head of an arrow was buried deep into her stomach. Her dark shirt grew darker as the blood poured down her stomach.

Wait a minute. An… arrow?

My head spins toward the dying boy from 4 who lay on the ground, not showing any sign of life. He had a quiver full of beautifully shaped arrows and a long silver bow entangled in his stiff fingers.

That must have been the other archer in this Arena! I remember seeing that second bow ad quiver at the cornucopia before the cannon blew and the Games began.

Levy's body began to fall, but I caught her in my arms before she hit the ground. I rested her small blue-haired head on my lap.

"…Lucy?" Levy lifted her hand slowly and I grasped it as if our lives depended on it.

"I'm here." I say with a soothing voice. With Levy's free hand, she gently took out the arrow embraided in her body. I take one look at the wound, and I know it's beyond can't be healed.

"Sing?" Levy asked. "Can you sing?" Of course, she loves music. Because she likes the different melodies. I hate signing. I've always felt uncomfortable while singing, but I'll do it, for Levy.

"Yes, of course I will."

Think Lucy, think! I menatally smack my head, trying to think of a song. But then memories of a certain song my mother and father used to sing pops in my mind.

**_" I remember tears streaming down your face _**

**_When I said, "I'll never let you go" _**

**_When all those shadows almost killed your light I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone" _**

**_But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight."_**

Levy's lips form a smile as she flutters her eye lids shut.

**_ "Just close your eyes The sun is going down _**

**_You'll be alright No one can hurt you now Come morning light _**

**_You and I'll be safe and sound" _**

Her breathing is becoming ragid.

**"_Don't you dare look out your window, darling, Everything's on fire_**

**_ The war outside our door keeps raging on_**

**_ Hold on to this lullaby Even when music's gone Gone_**

**_ Just close your eyes The sun is going down_**

**_ You'll be alright No one can hurt you now Come morning light_**

**_ You and I'll be safe and sound" _**

She is barely breathing, her chest o ly rising and falling ever so slighly.

**"_Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh La La (La La) La La (La La) Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh La La (La La)" _**

Romeo'scannon went off, making me even more scared for Levy's moment to come.

**_"Just close your eyes You'll be alright Come morning light, You and I'll be safe and sound... Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh oh oh." _**

Levy's cannon fires.

I stay frozen on the spot, the sound of her cannon rining through my ears.

_She can't be dead. She's not dead. She's not dead. Please, please no. She's alive._

I kept on repeating through my mind, though deep down, I knew that she was truly gone forever.

_How could they do this to us?!_

"F**k!" I scream, tears rolling down my cheeks.

I pull Levy off of me and lay her gently on the ground. I kiss her forhead gently. Her small lifeless body is curled up on the grass, her beautiful blue hair falling down her neck.

_She shouldn't of have died like that, that was too horrible, too brutal for sweet little Levy._

I remove my arrow from Romeo after taking his remaining sixteen arrows and move his body beside Levy's. Even thouhgh hes her murderer, i know that it wasnt him who did it. It was the Capitol, he was acting in self defense.

As I'm five feet away from Romeo and Levy's corpse, I turn around and face them one last time. Then I do something unexpected. I lift my index finger and thumb, the Area 12 symbol. But this will no longer be the sign of 12.

_**This will be the sign of the Fairy Tail**_!

"Farewell sweet Levy." I walk away into the wilderness.

* * *

_"Attention! May I have everyone's attention, please!"_ Ichiya's voice boomed.

After Levy's death scene, I walked for the rest of the day, searching for Natsu with no luck. By sunset, I climbed my way up a tree and tied my rope around my waist to secure myself. For the first night in a few days, I'm by myslelf.

_"There has been a slight change in the rules." I lift my head up, looking at the dark sky. "The rules state that there shall be only one victor, but we have bended that rule. Instead of one victor, there shall be two winning victors, only if they both come from the same Area, for this year's Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor."_

The sky turned radio silent.

_What does he mean two victors? Two winners? Victors from the same Area... Natsu!_

"Natsu!" I scream before clapping my hand to my mouth. There could be others around...

But then another voice spoke, his voice brining music to my ears. "Lucy!"

And he sounded close, too.

**A/N**

**Sorry for the long wait for a new update! But was it worth the wait? I hope so... Please add a reveiw about what you think! I'll update a new fhapter as soon as I can, I promise!**

**~EternalFlame8030!**


	12. Chapter 12

The sound of Natsu's voice coming closer made my heart skip a beat. I haven't seen him since the other day when I left him to attempt to save Levy.

I quickly untie the rope around my waist as fast as I could and I jumped down from the tree. I forgot how high I was off the ground and at that moment, I could really care less. Though I did hear a pop as I landed on the ground.

"Lucy!" His voice yelled again... he was near.

"Natsu!" I run after stuffing the rope back into the darkness of my backpack. I entered a clearing in the trees, where I ran into Natsu yesterday.

And in the clearing stood a pink haired boy.

Natsu.

"Lucy!" He ran, well rather limped, toward me with open arms.

We're ten feet away from each other, I guess.

Am I sure I want this?

Six feet.

What if he betrays me?

Two feet.

Ah hell, I don't care anymore.

I wrap my arns around his shoulders and he wraps his muscular arms around my waist. The coldness that once over took me was now replaced with sudden warmth.

After we pull apart, I find that I'm covered in blood. But not my blood, not Levy's...

"Natsu! You're bleeding!"

"So?" God, he's still that same fearless and foolish boy.

"Come on Buttons, let's go."

* * *

"Holy shit!" Natsu yelled in pain as he squeezed my hand.

A few hours ago, Natsu and I wandered around lookin for shelter after a trip to the lake. With our water bottles full, we found a small rocky cave hudden behind thorn bushes.

I had rolled up Natsu's pant leg up and took a look at his wound.

"Oh God..." I mutter.

"That bad, huh?" Natsu asked, sweat pouring down his forhead.

"Nothing that can't be healed." I doubt it.

With my knife, I cut off a piece of my jacket, poured water from my bottle on it, and placed it on Natsu's bleeding leg.

"God dammit!" He spat.

The giant gash on his leg went from his knee to his ankle. A dark red covered his tanned skin; and I haven't even seen his arm yet...

"What happened?" I ask, but it came out more as a gasp.

"Ran into the Careers the other day." No need to say anymore...

"Who and what?"

"Mirajane with the axe and Laxus, sword."

"How can you still be alive, Natsu?!"

He shrugged.

"Lucy... I noticed one less member in their pack when I saw them before we found each other. I see your ally isn't here either." Levy.

"I killed him." I glared at the ground but Natsu didn't seem shocked by my news. "Levy died because the boy-" I stopped myself. "Because I was too weak to save her."

"Well let's face it, even if she did survive, there's a 75% chance that she'll die anyways even more brutally. Besides, at least she's out of this hell hole."

I nodded. "now stay still! If I dont clean your wounds, they'll get infected." Having an infection in this Arena means certain death because there are many plants and animals in here that carry infectious diseases.

"Natsu," I say. "Why did you scream my name when the cannon fired the other day?"

Natsu thought his words carefully. "Because you're my friend and if I don't win this and I die, it's better you win than me. For one thing, you still have a family-"

"No, I don't." I look away. "They're dead."

"You have Loki."

"He'll survive without me."

"…But I won't." The words barely escaped his lips.

"What?" I ask surprised.

"Nothing." He replied rather quickily. "Anyway, how many are still left besides us?"

I look at him strangely. "From what I know of, Gray, Levy, both from 7, and the boy from 3 are dead."'

"I know that both from 6, Evergreen, Lisana, and Freed died." Natsu added. "And the girl from 3."

"They did?! How did I nit hear their cannond?" I practically yell.

"No clue. And then that boy died that Laxus took hostage." Natsu said. "Twelve gone."

"Twelve alive." I add. "Jesus, we've only been in here for a week and the grass is already red!"

"Disgusting. Stupid Capitol, damn you! Do they think they can just treat us like their guniea pigs?!" Natsu growled.

"My thought exactly." I clap my hand over my mouth. "Natsu, as angry as you are, you must settle down... the Capitol can still hear us you know."

"So let them hear: we are not your damn guinea pigs, snow." His eyes glared at the fragile rocky wall as if he was looking at the president himself. "Kill me if you want, murder my family, destroy my home, but that wint change my opinion."

I can already see Gildarts slapping his forhead muttering, "what did I tell you, boy?" Effie would be gasping while sighing, "manners, Natsu, manners."

"Natsu..." I sit on the damp dirt, gasping at him for s moment before bringing the cloth back down on his knee.

He winces. "Ouch, Lucy!"

"Get it under control." I whisper with a hint of seriousness.

His black eyes look into my hazel ones. The glare turned into shock.

"Did I-" He started.

"Yup."

"And I-"

"Yup."

"To the Capitol."

"Yup."

"Aloud?"

Zz

"Oh my- yes Natsu!" I shook his shoulders.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He slapped his forhead.

"Everything."

"I'm mental." He sighed.

"Too right you are."

"What were we talking about again?" He asks.

"Diesnt matter. Get some sleep, Natsu." I say.

"Right." He lays down on the dirt with a loud groan.

I lay a few feet away from him, snuggling in my sweater.

"Lucy?" His voice whispered.

"Yes?" I reply.

"Im glad we found each other."

My heart stopped. "Me too, Natsu, me too."


	13. Chapter 13

I woke up at sunrise, hoping to put tyhose hunting skills I learnt to use. Natsu was still shivering in his sleep wheni exited our little cave.

Twigs snapped under my boots as I trudged along the forest with my bow in hand. I saw movement and I quickily pulled an arrow from the quiver.

The rasberry bush rustled as I took a step forward. Another twig snapped as I walkednon it, causing a rabbit to fome hopping out. I let the arrow fly into the rabbit's thick brown fur.

Once I shot the rabbit, I gathered raseberries and cut a few ihalf and studied them ti make sure that they were not poisinus. Just how I learned back on the training floor.

After I was certain they weren't dangerous, I maze my way back to the cave. Several twig-snaps later, I did. And when I entered our cave, I saw that Natsu was not there.

"Natsu!" I shriek, stepping back out if the cave after dropping the berries had rabbit. "_Natsu!"_

No response.

"Natsu!" I shout again, louder this time. I just found him, there is no way in hell I'm goig to lose him again this easily.

"Lucy!" Natsu's voice replied after a few more of my shouts. I ran further and faster in the trees, following his voice. I saw the pink haired boy running equally as fast.

He pulls me into a tight hug in his arms.

"Where were you?" I whisper, my lower lip quivering.

"I-I was looking for you!" Natsu stuttered. "Where were you?"

"I was hunting!" I reply with a yell. "Dammit, Natsu! You scared me to death!"

"I'm sorry." He whispered in my blonde hair. "I'm sorry." He releated over and over again.

"What are you apologizing for?" I ask.

"Because I scared you to death and I don't want you to die." He replied.

I smile. "Only you."

"Only me?" Natsu looked at me confused.

"Only you don't want me to die."

"Well of course I don't want you to die!" Natsu says.

"Let's go back to the cave. I got us a rabbit and some berries." He leans against my shoulder as he limps and I take baby-steps to our little cave.

As I helped the injured Natsu into the entrence of the cave, we heard a cannon fire followed by another.

"Two deaths..." I whisper. "Who do you think died now?"

"We won't know until tonight." Natsu shrugged.

_Maybe it'll be our cannons that fire next_... I think bitterly.

* * *

"Ew! Natsu chew with your mouth closed! Are you even breathing?!" I cringe my nose as I look at Natsu who chomps down his half of the rabbit and pile of berries.

"What?" He said after swallowing another huge, disgusting bite. "I'm hungry."

"So am I," I say. "But you don't see me chocking down my food."

Natsu just shrugged and continued chewing his food.

Once Natsu and I were finished our food, I took a look at his wound on his arm.

There was a long gash on his shoulder, dried blood surronded the most likely infected wound.

"What was it this time?" I ask.

"An attack from Cana. I ran into her on the second day. She put up a good fight." Natsu replied.

"Ah." I say. "Natsu, I think this is infected. I mean... it's swollen and pink. I don't think it's supposed to be pink!"

"I think my arm s the least of our worries right now."

"Natsu-"

"Behind you."

I grab my bow and an arrow as I turn around. The blue haired girl named Wendy was standing there with her hands shaking as she held the daggar.

Before she had a chance to attack,.my arrow collided with her chest."

She was dead before she hit the ground.

"Theyre close." Natsu said, attempting to get up but failed. "The Careers."

I didn't say anything. Instead, I looked down at the small blue haired girl and I think of Levy.

"Lucy?" Natsu said, looking at me. I'm glad he interuppted my thought before I threw up.

"She was the second. The second kid I killed." I say. "Both from the same Area. Typical."

Natsu stood up with a loud groan. He leaned against the bumpy wall for support as he limped over to me.

"Lucy," Natsu placed his hand on my shoulder. "You didn't mean to kill them. You were only acting on self defense. That's what we were trained for."

"That's all everyone in here has been doing: acting om self defense. I bet if we weren't so frightened at the thought of death, that we wouldn't be killing each other." I mumble.

"Where did Wendy go?!"

_Crap they found us yet again_, I think.

"Keep quiet." Natsu mouths to me and I nod in reply.

"I thought I saw her come this way." The voice of Erza spoke.

"Do you think she ran into anyone?" Elfman asked.

"She sure as hell better have." I heard Laxus roar. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't want another dead team member."

"Laxus..." Mirajane said.

"Don't 'Laxus' me!" He growled. "Now let's go."

The footsteps died away.

I looked over at Natsu fearfully before dragging Wendy's cold and lifless body outside the cave for the Capitol to collect.

* * *

Music filled the night sky, letting everyone in the Arena know that the names of the dead will be shown soon.

"I'll look." Natsu painfully stood up and poked his head out of the cave exit.

He came back a minute later.

"Who?" I ask.

"Bickslow and Mystogan." Natsu replied.

"Oh." I say.

We sit I silence for a while.

How could Mystogan die?! He's one of the strongest Tributes here!

Then a scream filled the air, breaking my train of thought.

"It was you! You killed Gray-sama!" A female voice shouted.

I froze at the word "Gray." It must be Juvia, poor girl, she's probably with the Careers right now...

"You monster!" She yelled one last time before her scream peirced my ears and I heard a cannon.

I quickily run to the exit and sure enough, Juvia's picture floated above our heads and over the trees.

Then the sky went back to a dark blue with twinkling stars.

"And Juvia." I say.

"Figures." Natsu huffed. "She's the only one who would say 'Gray-sama.' She wouldn't shut up back in training."

"So, I guess this leaves you, me, Laxus, Erza, Mirajane, Elfman, Gajeel and Cana left."

"Six to go." Natsu growled as he stared frightfully at the ground. He looked as if he was ready to confront the Capitol again.

"Natsu... We should get some sleep. I'll be the first watch."

"Right. Don't let me sleep too long." He lays down and silently falls asleep I due time.

With an arrow onmy bow and ready to shoot, I lay my back against the exit and sit quietly. I heard someone talking. I quickily lift my bow outside but no one was riund. The voice was coming from inside.

I turn around and see no one-or nothing- but Natsu. I look at him closely and that his lips were moving.

I got close enough to hear his whispers.

"L...uce. Luc...y "

_He's sleep talking!_ I thought. _He's speaking my name!_

"Lucy... Luce..."

"Natsu..." I mumble as I looked at his peaceful state. Unlike when he's awake and in rage-mode, he looks calm.

I go back to the exit and there, I fell asleep.

* * *

"Okay okay, so when we get back and Ichiya asks us if there was anything we regret saying or not saying before we got here and if we died. What would you say?" Natsu asked me.

It's been three days and no deaths. In fact, no sign of any action at all. I would go out and hunt for some rabbits, squirles and gather berries and water; but that was it.

Natsu and I have been asking each other questions we would answer on Ichiya's talk-show when we win.

"That if I had died, they would not have been able to read the book I'm writing." I reply after a short minute of thinking. "What about you?"

Natsu blushed. It was an odd sight to see Natsu blush considering he always has a tough act. "Well... Er... You see... When Ichiya asked me about my love life and... if there was a special someone, I said no. But... The truth is..." the crowds watching this from the Capitol must be sitting on the edge of their seats as Natsu blushed harder.

"Yes?" I say. "Natsu, what are you talking about?"

"There is someone... Special. Someone who I love and didn't realize it until I entered this Arena..." He stuttered.

"Natsu, who is it?" I said, beginning to get annoyed.

His face turned beet red.

"It's you."


	14. Chapter 14

My heart stopped beating at his words.

"W-What?" It was my turn for stuttering now.

"Lucy, you heard me. I-I love you." Natsu continued blushing.

My heart suddenly beated over one hundred beats per minute.

"Natsu..." I can feel my face burning up.

"Lucy, d-do you feel the same way?"

I'm shocked by his question.

"Excuse me?"

"It's okay if you don't!" He said quickly. "But I'm wondering: do you feel the same way about me?"

"I... Natsu, why do _you _love me? Why _now_?" I say.

"I don't know. Remember when we shook hands at the Justice Building back in 12? I felt my freezing cold fingers warm up. Everything about you: your personality, your passion for writing... I found it perfect. I thought of you as a friend at first, but when lost you in the beginning of the games, it felt as if I had lost a part of myself. I looked day and night trying to find you again. So when I heard those cannons go off, I blew it. I freaked out and looked harder. I feel different around you, Lucy. It's like I don't have to hold up the tough mask anymore and I can be myself."

He opened his mouth to say something, but I stopped him with my mouth connecting with his.

At first, Natsu seemed shocked, but then he kissed me back with passion.

After what seemed like forever, I pulled away.

"I think that answers your question."

* * *

Branches and twigs snapped and cracked under our boots as we trudged along the forest floor.

"So... What are we doing again?" Natsu asked for the third time in the past ten minutes.

Surprisingly, after the events of last night, Natsu and I went to sleep and woke up. Everything seemed normal and Natsu and I were both acting as if nothing had happened.

"I told you," I said again. "We're looking for Cana." Last night, I suggested we find Cana so that together we can ambush the Careers. I trust Cana and I thought that she'd make a good ally; hopefully Gildarts agrees.

"She might not join us, though. The rules changed from one victor to two, she knows that she's only going to be the third wheel if she comes with us." Natsu said.

"I know but it's worth a shot. I want to break that unworthy group of blood-thirsty murderers as soon as possible." I say, referring to the Careers.

"I want to, too, believe me. But say she doesn't agree, then what?"

"Then I'll go to the Careers' pack still." I say.

"But do you think she'll just pop right into the open?"

"Of course not!" I said. "We'll just have to take our time and look."

* * *

When we stopped for a sip of water, I heard another boots crunch against the ground.

I turn around to see a brown haired brunette running toward us. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me and Natsu.

"Cana!" I get to my feet.

_"_Go! Run, quickly! The Careers are coming." She said in a panicked tone.

"Cana, listen to me! Natsu and I are going to attack the careers. We're going to ambush them-" I try to say.

"Are you mad?" Cana said. "There is only two of you aginst four of them!" She got into the running position, but I grab hold of her arm before she could make a run for it.

"Cana, join us! If you team up with us then we'll have a chance at beating the careers." I practically yell, trying to get my point through her head.

Cana pushed me away. "And if we do defeat the careers? What will become of me then, huh? If I team up with you two, I'm going to die anyways. You should have talked to me _before_ we came here."

"Listen, Cana-"

"No you listen: I'm. Not. Joining. You." She said through gritted teeth.

Cana broke into a run, footsteps echoing from behind us.

"How many freaking times are we going to run into these dang Careers?" Natsu muttered. "Lucy, we have at least a two minute max."

I nodded. "That's all I need." I followed Cana through the trail of footprints.

Cana still kept a ten feet distance between us, but I saw a dark figure from afar.

When we got closer, I saw the ruby red eyes of Gajeel Redfox.

"Cana!" I yell before Gajeel broke into a run.

Cana barely had a chance to turn around and face Gajeel before his weapon connected with her leg.

She stumbled to the ground, surprised and quickiy attempted to pull out one of her knives.

I sprinted toward them, pulling out an arrow and aiming it for Gajeel.

Everything that happened next happened too fast that everything looked like a great big blur.

Cana fell down on her back with blood pouring down her throat. Gajeel was beside her, his weapon painted red.

"No!" I shout but before I had the chance to let go of the arrow -being the clumsy old me- I tripped ovder a loose tree root. Instead of hitting Gajeel, my arrow hit a near by pine tree.

Gajeel looked at me, a mix of confusion, fear, terror, and sadness in his eyes. He was getting ready to charge at me when-

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled from somewhere behind me.

I spun around but Natsu was no where in sight. When I turned back around, Gajeel was running though the bushes.

Looking at Cana's dead body, I sighed and began to search for Natsu again.

He wasn't too far away. In under a minute, I saw a figure up ahead.

And then I saw two. Then two more figures.

'_The Careers!' _I gasp. '_Why do we have to keep running into them?!'_

"Natsu." I whisper, looking around my surroundings and hoping that the Careers won't see me.

"Nats-"

A hand came out of a bush and covered my mouth. It pulled me into the bush and once it let go, I got ready to attack.

"Shh." Natsu whispered.

"Natsu!" I mouth. I was about to protest again when-

"Dammit..." Laxus whispered as he stxood over Cana's dead, lifeless body with wide eyes. "Cana... Oh, Cana..."

"Laxus?" Erza said. "What's wrong?"

"Cana. She's... she's dead." Laxus relied.

"So? Who cares? I mean, it only makes us one step closer to winning." Mirajane said.

"You think _I_ am going to win this game with _you_? Think again. No way in hell am I going to win this game with a red head, or one of two siblings? _Cana_ was actually worthy of winning." Laxus said with a hint of sadness in his tone of voice.

"Laxus… You don't _really_ mean that, do you?" Erza whispered.

"Of course I do! Every word."

"Laxus-"

"So what happens to us?!" Elfman interupted Erza. "Huh? What are we to you? Were you just using us for your little plan of "victory?""

"Elfman stop." Mirajane said.

"No! I'm sorry big sis, but I cant listen to you. I'm sick of being used, of being treated like dirt by you, Laxus!"

"Back down!" Laxus ordered. "How dare you talk to me like that. You know, I _was_ going to let you live longer… but now it's time to say "goodbye."" Laxus pulled out his sword.

Elfman pulled out a weapon of his own and charged at Laxus, the same time fiat Laxus charged at Elfman.

_Is Laxus really going to kill an ally? A friend_?! I thought.

"Elfman no!" Mirajane shouted as the two clashed into each other. Laxis had him down in a matter of seconds.

"Farewell, Elfman." Laxus said, placing his sword on his comrad's neck and lifting it. . .

Only just in time, Mirajane pushed her little brother out of the way, but doing that, the sword bit her neck. She fell to the ground, gasping for the last breaths of life.

"Sis!" Elfman gasped. He kneeled by his fallen sister and checked for a pulse, but judging from his fearful gaze, I bet there is none. "S-She's. . . Dead."

Erza looked at Elfman sadly then back at Laxus. "Laxus, you. . . You just killed a comrad!"

"So?" Laxus turned his back to them, which in my opinion was an idiotic move. Elfman charged at Laxus again, screaming like a mad man. Without breaking a sweat and with a flick of his wrist, Elfman fell down with Laxus' sword dug deep in his heart. "Pathetic." Laxus muttered before pulling his sword out. "C'mon Erza, let's go."

"R-Right. . ." Erza nodded but looked back at her fallen friends.

Then the disappeared in the Arena.

"Oh my God, Natsu, did you see that?" I gasp.

"Yeah, I saw." Natsu said.

"That _bastard_. Who does he think he is? Killing his friends, his allies in cold blood!"

"Lucy, as much as I hate Laxus and what he did. . . Look on the brightside. There's only three of them left."

He's right. Only Bayer, Laxus, and Erza are left besides us.

"Natsu. . . We can actually win this! We can go home!" I say.

Three cannons went off that day.

* * *

**I'm terribly sorry for the very long wait! It's been a very stressful time both at home and at school. But I'm getting back on track! **

**What do you think about what happened to Cana, Mirajane and Elfman?**

**Next update will for sure be posted quicker than this one!**

**~EternalFlame8030**


	15. Chapter 15

Nine days had passed since the deaths of Cana, Mirajane and Elfman. Nothing has happened ever since, everything is surprisingly quiet.

Within those nine days, Natsu's condition has gotten worse. No matter how mich I clean out his wound, he got infected. Not to mention he has a terrible, high fever, too.

"God dammit Natsu, lay down if you want to get better!" I yelles for the fifth time in the last two minutes.

Natsu had been trying to get up to fight Laxus so we can win the Hunger Games, but it's only making his current conditon worse.

"But I wanna fight!" Natsu whined. "I'm not the kind of person who sits out of a fight!"

"Do you see a fight going on?" I asked.

"No, but we should go and defeat them before they defeat us!"

"Stop yelling!" I yelled and smacked his head.

"_Attention to all Tributes_!" Ichiya's voice boomed. "It's that part of the Games now, you know what that means. . . The feast!"

"The feast?" Natsu said. "What's the feast?"

"Shut it." I snapped.

_"There's something each of you desperatley need._" Ichiya said._ "And now is your chance to get it! At the conrucopia is three bags with your district number on them. The bags will be placed at dawn, and in them are the very things tnat might just jaave your lives. . . Or someone else's."_

_What?!_

_"Good luck to you all_." Ichiya's voice faded.

_Dawn. . . That's in two hours from now_!

I get up and grab my bow, throwing my coat over my shoulders.

"Have you seen my quiver? It has my arrows. . ." I look on the dirty and rocky ground foe my quiver. "Natsu?"

I turn around only to see Natsu laying against the rock wall with my quiver in his hands.

"You're not going." He said.

"Yes, I am. Natsu, they have the medicine, I can heal you _properly_!" I say.

"Lucy, it's going to be a bloodbath, just how it was at the beginning of the Games!" Natsu says.

"And did I die there? No. I'll be fine, but you won't be fine if I don't get you your medicine!"

"Then let me die! You're not risking your life for me, I won't allow it." Natsu said with determination filling his eyes. But what was he determined about? Keeping me here? Hell no.

"Sorry," I march over to him and harshly pull the quiver out of his hands. "to dissapoint you, but you don't get to control my life just because you're a man." I can already hear the crowds "Ooh"-ing and gasping at my comment.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, trying to gst up but failed miserably. "Dont. Don't go."

But it's too late.

I'm running out of our hidden cavem leaving the injured and sick Natsu alone to defend for himself. Oh how I'm such an idiot. What if someone finds him while I'm gone?!

_Don't be stupid_. I think to myself._ He'll be fine_.

Gajeel, Erza and Laxus should be going to the feast, too. But what do they "desperatley need?" I can picture it already.

Laxus → Polish for shining his sword.

Erza → Amor, a new weapon (. . . And cake. . .)

Gajeel → Food, matches, a knife, rope, water. . .

Me → Medicone for healing Natsu.

Crickets sunread as I walked in the night, the faint glow of dawn slowly startingb to show.

After a long walk with surprisnly no attacks, I stop and hide behind the tree. The cornucopia sat quietly in front of my eyes.

This is where it all began: first death, to the first drop of blood, to the last cannon, to the last survivor. The Hunger Games.

Judging hiow the air is getting slightly warmer, I guess about thirty minutes until dawn. It looks like the other Tributes think so, too.

Gajeel is hiding in a bush about ten-fifteen feet away from me. I can tell it's him because of the blood red eyes poking out of the bushes. Erza is behind a tree on the other half of the field, I knew it was her because I saw a flash of scrlet hair. But no sign of Lazus. Is that a good or bad thing? If he's not here then it's possible that he foud the cave!

No, I cant focus on that right now; I need to stay concentrated. _Focus Lucy, come on._

The faint glow gave signal to three small platforms to rise up, just how we entered, On each platform sat a bag with our Area numbers on the, mocking our needs.I saw the numbers 1, 11, and 12. That's all that is left. . . Us three Areas, five Tributes remaining.

I know that this is a trap, that I'm most likely going to die, but if it's for saving Batch's life. . . It's worth it.

No one is running to get their bags. Everything is still and silent. Why aren't they running?

Getting both annoyed and impatient, I sprinted toward the tiny pale blue bag with 12 painted on it.

Yes, it's a risky move. Too risky. But I had a feeling that it is now or never.

With each "thump" of my feet hitting the grass, memories of the first day came flowing into my mind. Too many died that day. Too many cannons fired.

I was getting closer to the bag, closer to saving Natsu. My hand was inches close to the bag, I could feel the cotton cloth already.

Then scarlet red hair flashed in the corner of my eye.

Erza.

Quickly, my arrow was placed and ready to fire when Erza tackled me to the ground.

Being caught off gaurd, this gave Erza an advantage. And she used it to the fullest. She kicked my bow out of my hand. Wrestling and cat fighting to get my bow back, it ended as Erza pinned me to the ground with her sword placed at my throat. Blood poured down my forehead.

"Well it's about damm time we got you! Once Laxus kills you, what stops us from winning?"

"If you live and win, you will only be known as murderers and not winners." I spat.

"Dont forget that you're a murderer, too."

"At least I don't betray and kill my allies and friends in cold blood." I growl.

A hint of fear and sadness washed over her eyes, but was gone as quickly as it came.

"We'll do what he need in order to win. Even if it means you or anyone else loses an ally. Gray, was it? Laxus seemed to enjoy killing him. But wait. . . You had two allies. What was her name? The little girl. Levy? Well guess what: we killled her, too, and now you can join them."

She raised her sword, ready to strike when a muscular arm pulled her off me. Erza hung in the air, her feet dangling and Gajeel's fist locked around her throat. Erza's sword was out of reach for both of us.

"I heard you speak her name: Levy. You killed her, too?" Gajeel demanded.

"N-No! It wasn't me, I swear! It was Romeo! H-He killed her!" Erza stuttered.

"You're lying." Gajeel snarled while Erza gasped "no." "Where is he? Where's Laxus?"

"I-I don't k- Laxus!" Erza screamed when she saw Gajeel pull out a knife. "Laxus!"

"Erza!" Laxus's voice roared back. He sounded far away, and luckily his voice is coming from the opposite direcrion of the cave.

_Good_, I sigh in relief before remembering about Gajeel.

"Shut up, you bitch." Gajeel dug the knife into her neck and ripped out her throat.

A cannon fired before Erza's lifeless body fell to the ground next to me.

"Are you with them? Did you kill Levy, too?" Gajeel growled.

"No! Levy. . . She was my ally- my friend. I tried ro save her. . . I'm sorry. She didn't deserve to die." I said.

The knife was still clutched in his hands, but I saw mixed emotions cross over his face.

"Fine." He put the knife back into his pocket. "But only this one time, no more free bees. You hear? This time. . . For Levy."

"Erza!" Laxus's voice was getting louder by the minute. "Erza, I'm coming!"

"You'd better run, Fairy Tail." Gajeel ran the other direcrion and entered the forest.

Processing what was happening and what was about to happen, I ran back to the forest line and took cover behind a strawberry bush.

Only seconds after did Laxus enter the clearing. Not wanting to see his wrath and rage, I was getting ready to head back to the cave,.when I remembered. . . Natsu's medicine.

"Oh shit." I mumble bitterly.

* * *

"You have _got _to be kidding me." I whisper. The bag was a few feet away from Laxus, who appeared to have his gaurd dosn as he knelt beside Erza's dead body.

I could just make a run for it, but that would mean instant death. But I need to do this. . . For Natsu's sake.

Making up a plan in my head, I walk along the tree line, getting closer to the Cornucopia.

Once I was directly behind it, I ran until my hand was against the cold metal.

I sneaked around the corner until I could see Lazus and the bag through the corner of my eye. The bag is so close, if I could just run and get it, I would go on my "merry" way. Only problem is that Laxus is there, too, with his sword in hand. Wonderful.

Well, it's now or never.

I can already hear Gildarts yelling "Stupid girl, you should have waited a bit longer!" and I can picture him mentally strangling me. But it's not _his_ life I'm risking.

Taking a chance, I leap toward the bag with my knife gripped tightly in my hand.

Laxus obvisously disk expect this to happen; he lunged at me at the same time.

Metal clashed as our weapons clapped together. I had the bag in one hand, my other hand hepd the knife which was busy defending Laxus's blow.

I kick him in the gut and he stumbles back as I stumble toward the trees.

In anger, frustration, and possible defeat, Laxus threw his sword at me but missed.

"Dammit!" Laxus roared as I disappeared.

* * *

I found Natsu on the ground outside the cave. Seems like little dragon tried to follow me.

"Natsu," I say. "Get up."

"Lucy, you shouldn't have gone. . ." Natsu mumbled. "You. . . You could have been killed!"

"But I wasn't so quit your whining." I say. "Come on, let's get you healed."

* * *

"Holy shit!" Natsu swore.

"Calm down, otherwise the medicine wont work!" I snapped.

Inside the bag was a tin full of lotion and a note the read:

_"Spread this on any wounds, use well. Keep up the good act."_

**\- G**

Act? Does he think that the relationship between me and Natsu is an act?! I better give that muffin-sniffer a good whack on the head when we get out of here.

"So," Natsu winced. "Who did you say is out?"

"ERza." I say. "Gajel showed up."

"Oh. . . no need to say more." Natsu said.

After I was done putting lotion on his wounds, I began to twist the lid back on when he stopped me.

"You're injured, too." Natsu said as he unscrewed the lid again anf gently rubbed the lOtion on my forehead. It stung at first, but the pain slowly faded away. I can only imagine how Natsu must feel.

"There," He smiled. "Now you're better, too."

I smiled back.

"Have I ever told you," Natsu said. "How beautiful you are; inside and out?" I froze. "You're always smiling and there for me and everyone else. You're so perky, too. . . I love it. I love your great desire for reading and writing- I really hope you get your story published one day. Your smile is breath taking and I love everything to do with you."

"Why?" I breath out heavily. "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because it's true." He replied. "And because there might not be another chance-"

"No. We're going to win this. Together." I say firmly.

"Together..." Natsu mumbled.

"I love you... Inside and out." I say back to him. "I love your mental strength and how you never give up or lose hope. I love your rude, yet funny sense of humor and how you're always there to lift me up when I fall. I love your beautiful black eyes, they make me trust you. But most of all, I love your firery personality. You'ree like a dragon. My dragon."

"Your dragon. . . I like that. And you're my princess."

He smiled and before I knew it, we kissed.

* * *

"Luce. . . Lucy. . . Lucy! Wake up." Natsu said as he shoved my shoudler.

"What do you want?" I growled.

"What time do you think it is?"

I yawned as I opened my eyes. "I dunno. Maybe eight in the morning or so. . . Just go back to sleep."

"Wait! Lucy. . . Stay awake."

"What?"

"If it's already morning, then why is the sky still dark?"

"What do you mean?" I opened my eyes again and shuffled my way over to the entrance of the cave. The sky, indeed was still dark. Incredibley dark.

"Oh shit. . ." I have seen this part of the games many times before on Television, but now that I'm actuall in the Arena, I completely forgot about it. But how could I? There _is _only four of us Tributes left. . .

"What is it? Natsu asked,

"Natsu. . . It's time for the finale."

* * *

_**A/N**_

_**I am so sorry for the extremely long wait! It's been really stressful lately and I've been going through a lot of stuff with my family, friends and mental health so please understand. But here's a new chapter! Yay! And there are only one or two chapters left, though. . . .**_

**_\- EternalFlame8030!_**


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